Shattered Lives: Portraits from America's Drug War

by Chris Conrad and Mikki Norris

Book Overview

This is the first book to use photos and personal case stories to show the human cost of the US Drug War. It is art-quality in its 8-1/2 by 11" presentation, with a full color, laminated cover and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0963975439
• ISBN13: 9780963975430
• Release Date: December 1998
• Publisher: Creative Xpressions.
• Length: 118 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.3" x 10.6"

Customer Reviews

Unbelievable! What kind of justice is this?

This is by far the saddest book I own. I cannot believe that the U.S. government would allow such cruel and unusual punishments. Murderers and child Molesters don't even serve half the time as most the people in this book are or will be serving. 189 years, 8 months charged with conspiracy to transport cocaine. I'm not saying I agree with with the crime committed but I have to admit that the sentences are far from just. Non Violent Drug Offenders, Not Rapist, Not Serial Killers. 24 years charged with conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute. Many, many more stories and lots of them are first time offenders...What kind of country are we? No wonder the UN voted us off. I just can't believe this kind of ignorance is happening right under our noses...and maximum sentencing for many convicted murders is less than 30 years for Violent crimes...does this make sense to you? Early parole for them to make room for these drug prisoners. I am appalled. The authors did an outstanding job presenting these tragic stories. Hats off to them. I will share this book with everyone I know! That is the only way to change this unrelenting system called justice! United we stand, divided we fall, and that is a bummer!The authors of this book are giving these people who are locked away a voice that will hopefully reach people like you or myself that might read this book and want to do something to help change these uncivilized laws.

A True Tear-Jerker

In addition to agreeing with most of the other reviews of this book, I think the main mission is to show this nation's harsh mandatory minimum sentencing. Also, a lot of people shown in this book are in prison solely for being associated with someone (usually a boyfriend or husband) who was dealing drugs. A lot of times, these people receive larger sentences than the leaders of the drug rings because they refuse to testify against their loved ones.Recently, Amy Pofahl, (who is featured in this book) was granted sentence commutation by President Clinton. She had already served nearly ten years of a no-parole 24-year sentence on conspiracy charges related to her ex-husband's participation in an Ecstasy production and distribution ring. He got three years of probation in the US, but also served a four-year sentence in Germany. Overall, this book is very important and well laid out. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is overly emotional because it's incredibly sad how our own government treats these people.

unfair review inspires attempt for balance

I just finished a most incredible book, Shattered Lives. It succeeds in putting a very human face on "the big ugly", the US drug war. Reading the review on this book by someone called Newtiger it became painfully obvious that this reviewer had a political agenda in trying to turn off potential readers. The power of Shattered Lives on an unbiased reader to be sickened by the actions of the government in its drug war role elicited what is likely to be Newtiger's self promoting review. It would not surprise me to learn that Newtiger is someone directly profitting by the drug war insanity ie. prosecutor, politician, prison guard,etc. Anyone who sincerely wants to understand what is happening in America should read this book- after finishing the book they might read Newtiger's review to understand spinmaster illusions.

_Outstanding_ intro into why the "Drug War" has failed

Shattered Lives is an excellent read for both those who already know that the "War on Drugs" is a failure as well as those who need to know.It is a collection of short stories and photos of scores of victims that demonstrate very graphically how foolish this decades long failure we call the "War on Drugs" (Which is actually a war on our citizens) has been and continues to be.We use this book as a promotional item for our members and many copies have been sent to politicians. HIGHLY recommended. If you don't oppose the "Drug War" now you will after you read this bookMark Greer

A must-read for drug warriors

This book should be required reading for anyone who thinks that a "tough on drugs" policy is a good idea. In particular, judges, prosecutors, and potential jurors should be *required* to study this book before participating in drug cases. The authors have done an excellent job of portraying the *human* side of this war against our own people - most of whom are otherwise law-abiding, productive citizens. The prisoners in this ill-conceived war are also for the most part loving family members, and the forced separation of children from their parents in the name of the war on drugs should be viewed as a crime against humanity. The photos and stories of ordinary folks caught in the life-shattering juggernaut of drug prohibition are immensely potent. They do not make for a pleasant or easy read, depicting as they do the tragic story of archaic anti-drug laws wrecking the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. People who - by any rational standard - do not deserve anything like the decades-long sentences so casually meted out by a system gone out of control. But concerned citizens have a responsibility to face the consequences of our failed drug policy, however painful this might be. Please read this book if you care about fairness and humanity and how these have "gone missing" in America. You'll be amazed and appalled at just how far drug prohibition has removed us from the ideals of liberty and, especially, the right to be left alone. Perhaps more than any other single book, Shattered Lives helps us to *feel* the wrongness of our mean-spirited and futile drug prohibition policies.