Book excerpt: From the coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul—a program that develops positive change for inmates and their loved ones With their books Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul and Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul, Tom and Laura Lagana have shown readers how to make positive use of their time—whether they are serving others or serving time. In Serving Productive Time they go one step further, using powerful stories, poems, and cartoons created by inmates and others to address the realities of penal existence. They build on these voices of experience with essays and advice that show inmates how to truly make their time count, and give meaning to their lives right now, while making amends for their crimes and working toward release. Inspires inmates to use programs and resources, perform positive deeds, and acquire skills Empowers correctional staff, counselors, families, and volunteers to help inmates who want to make positive changes in their lives