sincerely, your friend - Paperback

Over the last eight years, Bailey McManus has kept in touch with over 200 men in prison. Sincerely, Your Friend; Letters from My Incarcerated Pen Pals gives readers a window into the hearts and lives of people incarcerated across the United States. Both personal account and research are combined to provide a brief study on our nation's justice system and the people most affected by it. This collection is rich with despair suffering, shocking gratitude, and great hope. The lives captured in these letters can change how we view and therefore, how we sentence people who commit crimes. To understand the humanity behind the statistics, we need to hear the stories, struggles, and dreams of people who are sent to prison.

Desmond Tutu said, "The truth of who we are is that we are because we belong." These letters give us a unique opportunity to hear from people who have been told and treated as if they do not belong. In these letters, we see how people who have been labeled "criminal" are simply "human." How belong in the world. And we see how friendship can mend something broken inside all of us.

"There's amazing stories in this book that not only could help change other people's lives buy maybe change your own." - Jake, Pen Pal

"Simple and profound...full of insights and wisdom." - Rene Denfeld, best selling author of The Child Finder and The Enchanted