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A review by tommyhousworth
Prison Industrial Complex for Beginners by James Braxton Peterson
4.0
This reads as an encyclopedic, yet passionately opinionated overview of material that is covered with greater depth in "The New Jim Crow" and the masterful documentary "13th" directed by Ava Duvernay ("Selma").
It's eye-opening information about how the industrialized prison program operates and how it has failed. Reagan's War on Drugs and Clinton's criminalization policies are brought into light as crushing missteps in efforts to retain power instead of address the root causes of crime in minority communities.
If you are of the "lock em up and throw away the key" mentality, you should give this book a chance to open another perspective for you.
It's also worth mentioning that the illustrations in this book are stark and powerful. They add a lot to the reading experience, creating something between a graphic novel and an expose highlighted by street art.
It's eye-opening information about how the industrialized prison program operates and how it has failed. Reagan's War on Drugs and Clinton's criminalization policies are brought into light as crushing missteps in efforts to retain power instead of address the root causes of crime in minority communities.
If you are of the "lock em up and throw away the key" mentality, you should give this book a chance to open another perspective for you.
It's also worth mentioning that the illustrations in this book are stark and powerful. They add a lot to the reading experience, creating something between a graphic novel and an expose highlighted by street art.