Man, I Wish We Would Have Known: Letters from Calipatria State Prison

"Man, I Wish We Would Have Known" is a collection of letters written by inmates at Calipatria State Prison in California. The letters are addressed to at-risk youth in response to the prompt, "If you could give your teenage self advice, what would it be?" The book contains scans of the original hand-written and typed letters. They have a power rarely found in literature of any kind, and they give us access to life in a maximum-security state penitentiary and the inner worlds' of the men who live there.

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This book encapsulates the number one thing that the thousands of young people I've worked with in the criminal justice system have told me would have made a difference in their lives: more mentorship from people who have gone through the same challenges they have. It also provides an open door to understanding for others who have not had to face those challenges. It is an invaluable resource.

-Adam Foss, Founder of Prosecutor Impact