Corrections_Today_May_June_2023_Vol.85_No.3

Bookshelf

The 100 pieces of advice/ affirmations come from ten loved ones who have/are experiencing someone who is incarcerated. They have volunteered to share their story with Dr. Lane and provide advice/ affirmations throughout the book. Also, the pages are not in any kind of order. It is about selecting a page and letting the universe decide. There is ample research showing the importance of maintaining relationships between loved ones and incarcerated individuals both for the safety and security of facilities and to assist with reentry. Taking on many aspects of these seemingly intractable problems, within Dr. Lane’s book, it offers straightforward advice like: First, most feel shame wondering what we did or missed out on to have caused our loved one to have been arrested and eventually incarcerated. We tend to blame ourselves for not being there. Take each day by removing the guilt and replacing it with supporting your loved one. As an experienced practitioner, Dr. Lane’s book is also able to offer practical advice: All issues will not be resolved in a

15–20-minute phone call. Take turns listening to each other. Make sure both of you have time for venting. There are many aspects of the relationship between an incarcerated loved one and someone who is supporting them. It can offer insights which may seem obvious to someone on the outside looking in but may seem revelatory to someone inside such a relationship: Be prepared that your loved one may not be honest with you. Don’t do time with your loved one. You have a life to live and you should not feel guilty about that. Children form a special focus for Dr. Lane. Dr. Lane’s previous works, Daddy’s Coming Home and Mommy’s Coming Home are a tender and inviting introduction for children to the realities of having an incarcerated parent. The Other Side continues this inclusive messaging, giving loved ones the tools to deal with the challenges of children with incarcerated parents. Among the bits of wisdom passed on by a loved one in this regard is the important message: Continue to let the child of the loved one know it is not their fault. Written in a comforting tone, Dr. Lane’s book is accessible for any audience and its message would be of use to a wide array of loved ones of incarcerated individuals.

The Other Side: You are Not Alone Written by Dr. Latoya Lane Ph.D., self-published (2022) 214 pp. REVIEWED BY Kirk Raymond. Raymond is the Director of Communications and Publications at the American Correctional Association. The Other Side: You are Not Alone is the latest work from Dr. Latoya Lane, a noted expert in corrections and reentry programming who has held senior positions with the GEO Group, the District of Columbia Department of Corrections and several other states. In this volume, Dr. Lane strives to provide assistance for loved ones of incarcerated individuals who are struggling with the uncertainties incarceration presents. This makes Dr. Lane’s book unique in recognizing the mental stressors accompanying having a loved one incarcerated. The pages range from positive affirmations for loved ones in the community, who have someone incarcerated to specific advice for dealing with loved ones who are incarcerated.

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