Mr. Smith Goes to Prison

Jeff Smith reads his memoir of spending a year in prison for having committed a minor crime with wry humor, energy, and heartfelt sincerity. Smith was a young gun with a bright future in Missouri politics, as well as the subject of an award-winning documentary called CAN MR. SMITH GET TO WASHINGTON ANYMORE? After lying to investigators about a campaign infraction, he was sent to federal prison in Kentucky. Smith adopts an impressive variety of authentic accents for the many prison inhabitants, both inmates and correctional officers, as he recounts navigating the perils of prison as a 5'4", 125-pound white guy. He views the "prison industrial system" as perpetuating the cycle of poverty, creating a path to recidivism, and wasting an enormous amount of human potential while maintaining profits and jobs. A fine performance of a thought-provoking book. A.B. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine