Jeff Smith -- the former Missouri state senator sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for lying to the FBI -- returned to my show today to tell more stories from his time behind bars and his book, "Mr. Smith Goes To Prison." Among the topics we covered:
Was his cellmate really like Morgan Freeman's character in "The Shawshank Redemption"?
Why do so many prisoners return to jail so often?
Do correctional facilities and staffs really care about "correcting" convicts?
Was there any effort made to educate or train inmates for their post-prison life?
Why does he say many convicts are smarter about business than Wharton grads?
What is "Ban The Box"?
Was his minimum-security facility what most people call a Country Club Prison?
What's worse in the slammer -- being a snitch or being a child molester?
How are race relations inside?
What reforms would he make in the American incarceration system?
