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This book, based on reaction papers and survey data at a Texas Department of Criminal Justice unit of incarceration, focuses on feature films as true depictions of crime and incarceration, explores select feature films to modify attitudes that lead to recidivism and examines the shared experience of those serving time behind bars. There are a number of feature films released each year whose main characters are incarcerated, but few, if any, accurately portray the day to day life or major events of life spent behind bars. Much scholarship exists to support that viewing feature film forms anti-social attitudes and behaviors, but few studies explore the use of feature film for pro-social purposes. Ultimately, I explore the data for information to better inform educators, social workers and criminal justice experts of what it is really like to live behind bars. Recidivism´s detrimental strain on the prison system, and the cuts in rehabilitative services within prisons nationwide, demonstrate that any inquiry into the incarcerated person´s experience that could provide some understanding of how we can reduce recidivism should be examined.

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Johnathan Marlow, Ph.D. teaches communication at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Lana Marlow, Ph.D. is Graduate Advisor of Communication at Angelo State University in San Angelo, TX. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin.

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