Imprisoned Minds: Lost Boys, Trapped Men, and Solutions from Within the Prison

In Imprisoned Minds, Erik Maloney tells the stories of men in prison that few people ever hear. Six gripping, first-person narratives of incarcerated men form his imprisoned mind concept: the men’s unimaginable childhood trauma and neglect set them on a pathway for prison or death. Maloney interviews his fellow prisoners with candor and savviness. He can do this because he is in prison alongside them--incarcerated for life at the age of twenty-one. Joined by a correctional scholar, Maloney presents a unique and informed perspective that blends lived experience with academic knowledge. A trauma-informed corrections can empower men to acknowledge and repair the harms of their past to regain control over their minds and their futures. Maloney has broken free from the mindset--and others can, too. Imprisoned Minds reminds us of the humanity of the nearly two million people behind bars in the United States and encourages solutions from within that can break the cycle of intergenerational incarceration.

ERIK S. MALONEY is a co-founding member of the Arizona Transformation Project. He works everyday to change the world and leave it better than he found it. His focus is on redeeming his past through mentoring and positively influencing others. He currently develops and teaches classes to inspire and empower other prisoners.

KEVIN A. WRIGHT is an associate professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and director of the Center for Correctional Solutions at Arizona State University. He earned his Ph.D. in criminal justice from Washington State University in 2010. His work focuses on enhancing the lives of people in the correctional system.

SHADD MARUNA is a professor in the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work at Queen’s University Belfast. His book Making Good: How Ex-Convicts Reform and Rebuild Their Lives was named the ＂Outstanding Contribution to Criminology＂ by the American Society of Criminology (ASC) in 2001.