Criminal Becomes a Kids' Book Writer

Is it possible for a felon who's been convicted 58 times for robbery and related offenses to discover a new, socially acceptable vocation? It is if your name is Dwight Pichette. The Canadian bank-robber-turned-writer—who's now serving 16 concurrent life sentences in a Canadian prison—has used his time to pen three published books for adults and a soon-to-be-completed children's story, Pockets 'n' Chipmunk, which has already received a Canadian arts medal.

Although Pichette may have a flourishing literary career in his future, old habits die hard. At the end of May, while the 49-year-old author was being escorted from a prison to a philosophy discussion at a nearby café, he slipped away. During the next two days, Pichette attempted two bank robberies. He was apprehended two days later.