My name is Charles E. Keith, Jr. I am the proud father of two wonderful children, Ariel and Charles, III. I’ve been incarcerated for 13 years in the federal correctional system. When I first came to prison I had NO cooking skills. Over the years I have learned to cook by watching other inmates. Eventually, I found myself teaching others how to prepare meals. The first thing a guy says when he comes to prison is, “I can’t cook!” Well unless you want to eat chow food you better learn how to cook. I soon became the designated cook once people begin to learn about my cooking skills. I decided to create my cookbook for several reasons. My primary reason is to give the families of inmates hope. By reading my book their families can be more at ease about their loved ones transition into the prison system. Two, I want to be able to give something to the guys coming to prison. Being in prison is not an easy task and if I can do something to make the time easier then I think that I should.