Tony D. Vick & Michael T. McRay 
Secrets from a Prison Cell 
A Convict’s Eyewitness Accounts of the Dehumanizing Drama of Life Behind Bars

Tony Vick is serving two life sentences for murder. After nearly twenty years in prison, Tony has literally taken to the pen to document firsthand what life is like behind bars. This book–handwritten by Tony and later transcribed by outside friends–indirectly challenges the reader to engage prison reform as one of the most important social issues of this generation, wondering if society can shift its emphasis from retribution to rehabilitation. Tony’s new book describes the violent, even horrific, incidents that occur in prison, incidents mostly hidden in the shadows, away from public awareness. It tells you the stories that those invested in incarceration would rather remain secret. As captivating as it is timely,  Secrets from a Prison Cell shortens the distance between those outside and inside prison walls. Through personal stories, essays, and poetry, Tony Vick’s book pulls back the curtain on a world invisible to most people, dramatically revealing the realities of life in prison and the power of love to fight dehumanization.

For Tony, writing this book has never been about money but about the message. Any proceeds from sales of the book will be donated to the No Exceptions Prison Collective, a non-profit organization that advocates for prison reform. (https://noexceptions.net) No Exception’s mission is furthered by its very name, referencing the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that abolishes slavery, except for those incarcerated in our nation’s prisons. Slavery still exists in America!

About the author

Michael T. Mc Ray (MPhil, Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation, Trinity College Dublin at Belfast) is a writer, advocate, adjunct professor, and storyteller. He served as a volunteer prison chaplain before being banned by the warden for organizing, is the cofounder of No Exceptions Prison Collective, and is founder and cohost of Tenx9 Nashville Storytelling. He is the author of Letters from ‘Apartheid Street’ (2013).