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sarahmarcs's review
4.0
This book is definitely hard to read at times but I feel that it's worth it to be able to hear directly from women who are currently or formerly incarcerated at prisons across the United States. Their stories are powerful, and when read together, document the pattern of sexual abuse and medical malpractice that occurs throughout the country's prisons.
rossi_dyl's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Read concurrently with Are Prisons Obsolete?
lizziethereader's review
dark
sad
tense
It's unfathomable how much the women in this book have had to suffer and my heart goes out to them and women in similar situations. It was interesting and infuriating to get a glimpse into the US prison system (and I really hope things are different in my country).
However, I wish the super interesting (meta)information wasn't "hidden" in the appendix. I get why the authors might want the stories to speak for themselves, but I was missing the meta-discussion throughout the book (until I saw the appendices). Also, I wish there was more up-to-date information. This first came out in 2011 but my edition is from 2017 but it isn't addressed whether some thins (data, rules, etc.) might have changed (for better or worse) by now.
However, I wish the super interesting (meta)information wasn't "hidden" in the appendix. I get why the authors might want the stories to speak for themselves, but I was missing the meta-discussion throughout the book (until I saw the appendices). Also, I wish there was more up-to-date information. This first came out in 2011 but my edition is from 2017 but it isn't addressed whether some thins (data, rules, etc.) might have changed (for better or worse) by now.
alisonrose711's review
4.0
This book broke my heart a thousand times. The absolute atrocities and cruelties and just total lack of respect, agency, dignity given to women in the prison system...it's just so disheartening and awful. The abuse inflicted on them by those in power is sickening, and I don't care what someone has done to be put in prison, they do not deserve what many of these women experienced. I'm grateful to the editors of this book for getting these stories out there, for letting these women speak their truths and their lived experiences. I feel like this ought to be added to school curricula and given to every damn "tough on crime" politician. If only...