Beyond the Bookshelf ‘Imprisoned Minds: Lost Boys, Trapped Men, and Solutions from Within the Prison’

Join the ASU Library for “Beyond the Bookshelf,” featuring online conversations with ASU authors. 

On Wednesday, April 8, from 3 to 4 p.m., ASU students, staff, faculty and Arizona community members are invited to participate in a virtual conversation about “Imprisoned Minds: Lost Boys, Trapped Men and Solutions from Within the Prison” by Erik Maloney and Arizona State University faculty member Kevin Wright.

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 21. Joined by a correctional scholar, Maloney presents a unique and informed perspective that blends lived experience with academic knowledge. 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 2 million people behind bars in the United States and encourages solutions from within that can break the cycle of intergenerational incarceration.

Beyond the Bookshelf "Imprisoned Minds" is supported by ASU librarians: Chad Deets, Joyce Martin, Shannon Nickle, Matt Ogborn and Samantha Pascoe.