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A review by booksamongstfriends
The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice by Dan Slepian
5.0
4.5 I’m drawn to books that delve deeply into issues with an intimate, personal perspective, and this one delivered on all fronts. What made it even more impactful for me was experiencing it in two formats—listening to the audiobook while also reading the physical copy. Hearing the voices of those directly impacted, sharing their pain, resilience, and fight for justice, adds an emotional weight that’s hard to replicate.
This book strikes an exceptional balance between personal narrative and broader systemic critique. Whenever a nonfiction work takes such an individual-focused approach, there’s always the risk of the narrative becoming too centered on the author. Thankfully, Dan Slepian avoids this pitfall. He weaves his personal journey into advocacy seamlessly with the stories of those who truly matter here—the individuals whose lives have been devastated by a corrupt system. His humility and willingness to learn alongside the people he’s advocating for make this book feel grounded and genuine.
What this book does best is place humanity where it’s often stripped away. It forces readers to confront the uncomfortable reality that the justice system fails far too many people. By taking such a personal approach, Slepian drives home a sobering truth: wrongful incarceration could happen to anyone. It could be you, your family member, or a friend caught in the crosshairs of a broken system.
The book reveals just how pervasive this issue is and how easy it is for someone to be convicted of a crime they didn’t commit. Even more chilling is how many forces work to keep them incarcerated, despite evidence or advocacy. The storytelling here is so raw and unfiltered that I think many readers will be shocked by just how frequent these injustices are and the obstacles to undoing them.
This is not an easy read, but it’s a necessary one. For those who want to better understand the fight for justice from a human-centered perspective, Sing Sing is a powerful and essential book.
This book strikes an exceptional balance between personal narrative and broader systemic critique. Whenever a nonfiction work takes such an individual-focused approach, there’s always the risk of the narrative becoming too centered on the author. Thankfully, Dan Slepian avoids this pitfall. He weaves his personal journey into advocacy seamlessly with the stories of those who truly matter here—the individuals whose lives have been devastated by a corrupt system. His humility and willingness to learn alongside the people he’s advocating for make this book feel grounded and genuine.
What this book does best is place humanity where it’s often stripped away. It forces readers to confront the uncomfortable reality that the justice system fails far too many people. By taking such a personal approach, Slepian drives home a sobering truth: wrongful incarceration could happen to anyone. It could be you, your family member, or a friend caught in the crosshairs of a broken system.
The book reveals just how pervasive this issue is and how easy it is for someone to be convicted of a crime they didn’t commit. Even more chilling is how many forces work to keep them incarcerated, despite evidence or advocacy. The storytelling here is so raw and unfiltered that I think many readers will be shocked by just how frequent these injustices are and the obstacles to undoing them.
This is not an easy read, but it’s a necessary one. For those who want to better understand the fight for justice from a human-centered perspective, Sing Sing is a powerful and essential book.