Crime & Law Enforcement

The jazz musician served time for crimes related to his heroin addiction. He left prison with his chops intact--he was often able to practice sax and perform for his fellow inmates.

Scott Turow received a $200,000 advance for his legal thriller Presumed Innocent. Despite his financial success, Turow, a practicing defense attorney, says that no one in their right mind should believe they can make a career solely as a writer.

Irwin Blye is a private investigator who has coauthored a book about his trade. He joins Fresh Air to talk about what his day-to-day work looks like--in contrast to the detectives of novels and films.

Deborah Spungen, who wrote a book about her daughter's murder by punk musician Sid Vicious, founded a Philadelphia chapter of Parents of Murdered Children. She and another woman, named Eileen Rainier, join Fresh Air's Terry Gross to discuss the impact the support group has had on grieving mothers and fathers.

Philadelphia Councilwoman Joan Specter and Barry Steinhardt of the American Civil Liberties Union debate what legislative or prosecutorial action should be taken against published work which either advocates for or features pedophilia. Prompting the discussion was the discovery of a pamphlet titled "How to Have Sex with Children," which was sold in Philadelphia bookstores.

John D. Case was a prison warden based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He worked to improve the prison system through better training and pay for prison employees and an emphasis on inmate rehabilitation. He also advocates for the repealing of laws which he feels lead to unnecessary prison sentences.

Terry talks by phone to Nick Caramandi, a made man in the mafia who turned witness for the government, while in the studio, Philadelphia Inquirer organized crime reporter George Anastasia will join Terry to talk about the life of the Philadelphia mobster. Anastasia has just written a book about the Philadelphia Mafia called "Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob - The Mafia's Most Violent Family" (Morrow). Caramandi was a major player in Scarfo's organization before going into hiding under the Federal Witness Protection Program.