4,000 Days

The other night, I finished reading an incredible masterpiece called: 4,000 Days: My Life and Survival in a Bangkok Prison. This is a true-life tale of a convicted drug-trafficker who was arrested in Thailand and spent twelve years of his life incarcerated in some of the most terrifying prisons of the world. Warren Fellows goes into extreme detail while describing the atrocious living conditions, the horrors of endless human rights violations, and the endless beatings, torture, torment, degradation, and death that occurred daily. It would be considered a miracle that Fellows managed to survive, and was granted a pardon after serving twelve years.

Fellows' tale of incarceration under the most inhumane of conditions reminds me about the strength of the human spirit, as well as the mind of a convicted criminal. Though Fellows is a free man by all definitions, his mind has been ravaged from his time in prison. He did emerge from prison a changed man, he swore to never traffic drugs again -- which tells us that there is such a thing as "rehabilitation" in the correctional system. But rehabilitation does not come in the form of starvation, torture, or any other inhmane practices that many prisoners of the world are subjected to daily. Fellows' abused mind, and his nightmares are constant reminders that he will never be a free man; a part of him will always remain in the prisons of Bangkok.

The details of his book are appalling and sickening to read. That being said, this book is recommended reading for every person in the world. No criminal, no matter how dangerous, deserves the same treatment as Fellows endured. Supporting Amnesty International would be an excellent way to change the world for the better, and help ensure no human being is ever treated like an animal.