Book suggestions for a friend in jail

[ShadowMom]

A friend of my family is in jail right now (he is a bit of troubled soul). I'm going to visit him on Monday and I don't know if they allow us to bring books or not, but if so I want to bring him something.

Any suggestions? Maybe some fiction that is sort of inspiring, about redemption or something along those lines?

[PiePie]

push, by sapphire. i mentor a troubled teen and she loves that book. i read it as an adult and thought it was adult reading. it is written in form of a journal, that writing becomes more formally correct as it goes on. i think it speaks to people who have been through trauma or abuse or difficult urban envts.

other thoughts, lots of the books by pearl cleage would be appropriate, i am thinking in particular of the one with black coffee in the title. if prefers non-fiction and or a male perspective, barack obama's first book, dreams of my father, is interesting.