With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, the author barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187-424, one of the millions of people who disappear "down the rabbit hole" of the American...

The author recounts his work with the York Correctional Institution and shares the stories of his women inmate students, describing the circumstances that led to their incarcerations and how they found their literary voices.

"Picking up one week after the emergency response team stormed Litchfield Penitentiary, the ladies of Litch have been torn apart, literally and figuratively, as they enter a new facility. Now newbies starting at the bottom, they must navigate new rules and power dynamics while getting hazed by inmates and tortured by guards. Friendships will be tested and new allegiances formed--some by choice, others by circumstance--as the women ace a slew of charges,...

New faces and old resentments make for a potentially volatile blend, especially now that Litchfield is a for-profit business. This season delves into the racial and economic tensions that run rampant in the halls of Litchfield. Overrun with new inmates and overseen by inexperienced guards, the prison undergoes an unprecedented culture war.

When the standoff at the prison turns into a full-blown riot, the inmates take advantage of the confusion by conducting séances, holding prisoner auctions, and preening for the morning news. But with relationships tested and friendships starting to fray, will life at Litchfield ever return to normal?