Federal prisons are run by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). Approximately 9,000 correctional staff work with about 14,000 prisoners in institutions. The remainder of the CSC's work force is made up of correctional administrators and parole officers. Only 13 percent of CSC resources are devoted to supervising and assisting offenders on parole, even though the ultimate goal of the prison system is to return offenders safely to the community. Correctional facilities in Canada are expensive to operate, and most inmates are males between 20 and 40 years of age. The first part of the book covers prisons in crisis, while the second part of the book discusses the protection of public safety. The book is based on interviews with prisoners, ex- offenders, and correctional staff. Book chapters consider the overwhelmed nature of Canada's prison system, drug offenders, racial problems in correctional facilities, female inmates, programs for change to protect the public, correctional facility redesign, prisons without bars, parole, and offenders on the street. 17 references