In this book, Dannie Martin and Peter Sussman have done more to shed light on the idiocy of our prison system than any other book I have read on the subject.

Dannie Martin is a convicted criminal, and I expected the usual whining about the system and how he got a poor trial, etc. Instead, what I found was a series of insightful articles written about the prison system by someone who has the ultimate in first hand knowledge. Interwoven with that was the story of the Federal Bureau of Prisons attempts to quiet the man who was exposing their dirty laundry.

Dannie Martin is a natural writer with a wonderful sense of humor. Far from being dry, this book was extremely readable and enjoyable. I think anyone who is helping to foot the bill for the Federal Prison system needs to read this book!!

This book should be required for all politicians who vote against prison reform. Seldom have I experienced the range of emotions that this book instilled-rage, indignation,joy,sadness and shame. The authors should be encouraged to give us more of the truth about our "correctional (?) system.

Committing Journalism:The Prison Writings of Red Hog written by Dannie M. Martin and Peter Y. Sussman tells the story of an essential First Amendment struggle. This collection of over fifty essays and the narrative of the struggles that they are born from, is a gripping survey of the brutal existence inside our prisons. Martin blossomed as a writer while behind bars. He left jail in 1995 with a profession and a chance to create positive energy in a world that he had previously only rebelled against. If only for the surreal drama of his suppression after touching a raw nerve in both the penal system and readers of his regular column in the San Fransisco Chronicle, the book is a must read. Yet, the eloquence and poignance of his reports demonstrate the power of finding the heart of any matter and communicating it with the skills of an accomplished journalist.