On the Outside

From the passage of Bill C-10, with its punitive, tough-on-crime provisions, to sensationalist media accounts of dangerous ex-convicts, it is evident that Canada is a country that is taking an increasingly hard line on crime. In reality, however, the vast majority of prisoners who serve out their sentences do not re-offend but rather reintegrate into society and never see the inside of a prison cell again. The lack of discussion regarding those who "make good" perpetuates the illusion that most ex-prisoners pose a danger to the public and renders invisible the complex and sometimes treacherous path out of prison. On the Outside illuminates that journey, exploring the post-carceral lives of men who have successfully resettled into the community after serving at least a decade in Canada's penitentiaries. Discussing the transition from imprisonment, release, and re-entry through to the challenges of resettlement, this book will change the way you think about Canada's prisoners and open up the debate on the perils of tough-on-crime legislation.

Melissa Munn is a professor in the Sociology and Interdisciplinary Studies Departments at Okanagan College. Chris Bruckert is a professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa.