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Reading While Incarcerated is a series of reviews from people talking about books they have read while incarcerated that are significant to them. (erhui1979/ iStock)

Not only is Marshall Jones an avid reader, he also is an author.

His memoir, “Prodigal Son: A Prisoner’s Story of Redemption,” co-authored with his wife, Jessica, provides a firsthand account of how abuse, crime, abandonment and homelessness can be transformed into a story of healing, Jones said. 

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Marshall Jones poses with his wife, Jessica, at Redgranite Correctional
Institution. (Photo provided by Marshall Jones) 

Themes of personal transformation also are present in Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist,” the book Jones chose to review for the second installment of Reading While Incarcerated.

Reading While Incarcerated is a series of book reviews by people who are incarcerated. 

Jones, who is from the North Side, first read “The Alchemist” in 2006.

He now reads the book almost every year and picks up different lessons from it each time.  

Here is what he had to say:

Devin Blake is the criminal justice reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. His position is funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, which plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

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Devin Blake began his career as a journalist at Patch, covering the Southern California communities he grew up in, with a particular focus on local businesses, unemployment, and organizations addressing unmet community needs. As he witnessed the growing homelessness crisis, he transitioned into working as a resource and information coordinator, supporting community groups and nonprofits serving unhoused populations, including the elderly, developmentally disabled, and individuals living with HIV/AIDS. In addition to his community-focused work, Blake has contributed to publications such as New York Magazine, The Onion, and McSweeney’s. He enjoys spending time with his wife and navigating the daily adventures of parenting his young son.