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A review by rosepoints
Prison by Any Other Name: The Harmful Consequences of Popular Reforms by Maya Schenwar, Victoria Law
5.0
in "prison by any other name", schwenwar and law discuss how alternatives to incarceration such as electronic monitoring and mandated psychiatric treatment are just as dominating and controlling as incarceration. these alternatives may seem like they are kinder and more humane than prison, but in truth, they only allow the state to surveil, control, and imprison more people.
i am still new to abolitionism, and although i do not believe in carceral punishment, i was shocked to found out that alternatives like electric monitoring, house arrest, and enforced drug and psychiatric centers were just as punitive as prison. i found that the authors were able to engage me, even on matters i felt quite conflicted about. for instance, they brought up the issue of recidivism and the spectrum of offenses that could require documentation in the sex offender database, and they were able to weave in statistics and other people's narratives seamlessly. i still feel conflicted about the sex offender database due to my own experience with SA, but i feel more neutral about it than i did before reading the book.
i do struggle with how so many of the solutions seem to put the onus of the burden on the victim. for instance, their example of restorative justice for a SA victim required the willing participation of the victim and assaulter (and the community members holding the circle) for over a year. i don't think that's a realistic expectation to hold for victims who are impacted by crimes like sexual and domestic violence. there's no distinction between long-term vs immediate responses to a crime, and i feel like that would've been helpful in a chapter about alternative solutions. however, that gripe is overshadowed by the rest of the book. utterly thought-provoking and gripping.
i am still new to abolitionism, and although i do not believe in carceral punishment, i was shocked to found out that alternatives like electric monitoring, house arrest, and enforced drug and psychiatric centers were just as punitive as prison. i found that the authors were able to engage me, even on matters i felt quite conflicted about. for instance, they brought up the issue of recidivism and the spectrum of offenses that could require documentation in the sex offender database, and they were able to weave in statistics and other people's narratives seamlessly. i still feel conflicted about the sex offender database due to my own experience with SA, but i feel more neutral about it than i did before reading the book.
i do struggle with how so many of the solutions seem to put the onus of the burden on the victim. for instance, their example of restorative justice for a SA victim required the willing participation of the victim and assaulter (and the community members holding the circle) for over a year. i don't think that's a realistic expectation to hold for victims who are impacted by crimes like sexual and domestic violence. there's no distinction between long-term vs immediate responses to a crime, and i feel like that would've been helpful in a chapter about alternative solutions. however, that gripe is overshadowed by the rest of the book. utterly thought-provoking and gripping.