Victor Hassine

Who was Victor Hassine?

Victor Hassine was a prisoner for over 20 years in the Pennsylvania State Prison System. He is the author of Life without Parole: Living in Prison Today which documents some stories of prison life, interviews with other prisoners and some short essays about his personal views of Prison and Criminal Justice system in the United States.

His book, which is currently in its fifth edition and has been renamed as Life without Parole: Living and Dying in Prison Today, is used by many sociology, criminal justice, and Social Work professors to help teach American justice and social control. Hassine, an intellectual who graduated from Dickinson College and New York Law School, offers a rare and intelligent insider's look at life in an American prison, including achievements and failures in the criminal justice system. Hassine's writings have been favorably reviewed by the New York Times and have garnered many awards, including two prestigious Pen American Awards in 1991 and 1992 for non-fiction writing. He also wrote poetry about prison life published in an Anthology of Prison Writings, The Crying Wall, published by Willow Tree Press in 2005.