Book Review: 99 Days and a Get Up: A Guide to Success Following Release for Inmates and Their Loved Ones (3rd ed.)

99 Days and a Get Up: A Guide to Success Following Release for Inmates and Their Loved Ones (3rd ed.)

By Ned Rollo, OPEN, INC., 2002

Summary:

In this short book, Ned Rollo intends to ease the transition of prisoners (and their loved ones) from a life of incarceration to the outside world.  He accomplishes this task largely by presenting the prisoner with a good understanding of the types of situations he/she will face and the emotions that typically correspond with those situations.  The explicit aim of the book is not only to reduce recidivism, but to provide a roadmap for ex-offenders to succeed in life.  Given that ambition, Rollo touches on major issues facing ex-offenders (including economic literacy, mental stability, social relationships, continuing legal issues, and family life) and provides helpful, brief suggestions as to how to overcome these obstacles. 

The book is comprised of three sections: the first for prisoners to read as they prepare for release, the second for the time of release, and the third for family members as ex-offenders get reoriented to life outside the prison system.

The major strength of this book is the honesty with which it was written.  From the introduction on, Rollo intends to flesh out what he calls “three absolute truths”:

1)    A quality life is achievable

2)    It is worth the price that must be paid

3)    And YOU can do it!

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

A particularly pertinent and helpful section of the book is its list of “15 Traps Dealing with Release.”  Overall, this book is an honest assessment of the challenges ex-offenders face outside of the prison system.  It is written in simple, straightforward language and could therefore be read by a wide audience.  99 Days and a Get Up is a great resource for FBOs who are actively engaged in ex-offender programming or who are considering starting such a program.