Redemption Story is a work of fiction. If my characters and situations resemble persons and events in real life, it is purely coincidental. But it is no surprise either. Redemption Story is loosely based on my own life, but it is not my story alone. It is a composite of the lives of many incarcerated men: their pasts, their presents, and possibly their futures. Young men and women growing up in tough urban neighborhoods will identify with, or at least recognize, many of my inmate characters. Most urban families have at least one relative or family friend who is incarcerated, often for very...