VIDALIA, La. &045; Ferriday native Jim Brown has a long list of titles after his name &045; former commissioner of insurance, senator, professor, author and ex-con.

Though it’s the former that got him to the latter, his time in federal prison gave him the stories he’s now traveling the state and sharing.

Brown and his latest book &uot;Justice Denied&uot; paid a visit to the Vidalia Chamber of Commerce Tuesday to share some of those experiences.

&uot;I get about 300 letters and e-mails a day from people around the country,&uot; Brown said. &uot;People trying to understand why bad things happen to good people.&uot;

Brown’s book tells of a jury that convicted him for making false statements to the FBI, and jurors who later stepped forward once they saw more information and said the conviction was wrong.

Brown served six months in jail, regardless, and came out skinnier and more adept in the prison kitchen, he told the chamber members.

&uot;Most of you have no understanding of what it’s like to go to prison,&uot; Brown said. &uot;Or what it does to the family.&uot;

Brown said he had future books under way and wants to talk about the effect a conviction, especially a wrong one, can have on the convict’s family.

Brown also praised Vidalia for taking advantage of the riverfront area and said he expected to see considerable growth in the town in the near future.