A Short Graphic Novel on How a Felony Sentence Is Served

I wrote a comic book about prison. Let me explain why. The School of Government recently published its first graphic novel, In Prison: Serving a Felony Sentence in North Carolina. It’s available for purchase here. I wrote it along with Shane Tharrington, classification manager for North Carolina’s Division of Adult Correction. Jason Whitley, a talented artist and designer who works at UNC’s School of Pharmacy, illustrated it. The book follows an inmate from the moment his felony sentence is pronounced to the day he completes post-release supervision. It shows where he will go (all inmates process through one of a half-dozen diagnostic centers before moving on to other destinations) and what he might do in terms of work or programs when he gets there. It explains how his stated sentence (10–21 months is the example I used) would typically translate into a real release date (just under 11 months, give or take). Why a comic book? I get a lot of mail and phone calls from victims, inmates, and their families. It is clear to me from their questions that they don’t always have a clear sense of how a defendant’s sentence will play out in practice. Many people seem to be advised that inmates are always released at their minimum (many aren't), and few—including inmates who pled guilty and asked for an active sentence—appear to be aware of the mandatory post-release supervision that will follow their incarceration (a “surprise” I wrote about here). After over 20 years of Structured Sentencing, [...]