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A review by lattelibrarian
Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex, Second Edition by Nat Smith, Eric A. Stanley
5.0
If you're looking for a light beach read, this isn't it. This is filled with essays and entries on the prison industrial complex through an abolitionist and pro-trans rights lens. Some entries are by professors, others by those who remain incarcerated or who have been previously incarcerated. They detail their time there, what goes on, the statistics of such a huge system, and what we can do to both change and subvert the system.
And yet for such an wonderful, thick, and informative book, I read this surprisingly quickly. Each chapter was compelling and well sourced, and they all drove the anti-prison point home. They suggest deconstructing the notion of a good prisoner vs a bad prisoner (someone incarcerated for stealing when they were starving vs a murderer), and deconstructing the notion of a deserving prisoner.
Overall, I found this to be compelling, though I did have a few caveats. For instance, I felt as though many authors offered rehabilitation or some sort of reintroduction to society for those who committed extremely serious crimes (rape and/or murder, for example), and even for those who were incarcerated for minor crimes (drug possession, self-defense, for example). Yet for those incarcerated for minor crimes--they aren't a threat to anyone, necessarily, and many of the crimes they committed are due to the root of the problem with our society--not enough food, warmth, shelter, safety, and so on. Yet most major crimes are not to do with a root of a problem. They're due to horrific socialization and the preservation of a (generally) male-dominated, white supremacy headspace. And that's something you can't deconstruct after murder and rape. That headspace stays with you for the rest of your life, and it's been proven with a study done on the topic of incarcerated rapists being released and going through a therapy/counseling/rehabilitation program only to be accused and detained for raping once more. Also, in my not so humble opinion, rapists don't deserve to even live, so....sorry lol I'll root for prison abolition except for everybody but them because they've already proven that they're unfixable scum. WHOOPS. And, besides, most rapists don't even go to prison anyways.
Another caveat is to do with the root of the problem within prisons--overall, yes, prisons are the BIGGEST issue and should therefore be dissolved and critiqued. Yet at the moment, we do have to deal with prisons existing, and we should do what we can to both work towards prisoner rights and welfare alongside deconstructing prisons. However, most (MOST) abuse towards prisoners are done by...white men. That's not to say that hiring more women, trans, GNC, and people of color would make things better, because as far as prisons go, it won't, but the fact that so many beatings and neglect and abuse is because of white men was something that wasn't necessarily mentioned. Perhaps it's inferrable, but I would have liked it if somebody just stated it point-blank.
And now back to the positives! One of my favorite things about this book was that at the end, the editors provide resources to help support your learning about and deconstruction of the prison industrial complex as well as different ways you can help the various movements currently going on! AND, this book is published by an anarchist press that will give you a 30% discount if you purchase a book to go towards a prison. Which is amazing!
Overall, this book is truly a great resource, and I'm glad to have happened upon it when I did.
Review cross-listed here!
And yet for such an wonderful, thick, and informative book, I read this surprisingly quickly. Each chapter was compelling and well sourced, and they all drove the anti-prison point home. They suggest deconstructing the notion of a good prisoner vs a bad prisoner (someone incarcerated for stealing when they were starving vs a murderer), and deconstructing the notion of a deserving prisoner.
Overall, I found this to be compelling, though I did have a few caveats. For instance, I felt as though many authors offered rehabilitation or some sort of reintroduction to society for those who committed extremely serious crimes (rape and/or murder, for example), and even for those who were incarcerated for minor crimes (drug possession, self-defense, for example). Yet for those incarcerated for minor crimes--they aren't a threat to anyone, necessarily, and many of the crimes they committed are due to the root of the problem with our society--not enough food, warmth, shelter, safety, and so on. Yet most major crimes are not to do with a root of a problem. They're due to horrific socialization and the preservation of a (generally) male-dominated, white supremacy headspace. And that's something you can't deconstruct after murder and rape. That headspace stays with you for the rest of your life, and it's been proven with a study done on the topic of incarcerated rapists being released and going through a therapy/counseling/rehabilitation program only to be accused and detained for raping once more. Also, in my not so humble opinion, rapists don't deserve to even live, so....sorry lol I'll root for prison abolition except for everybody but them because they've already proven that they're unfixable scum. WHOOPS. And, besides, most rapists don't even go to prison anyways.
Another caveat is to do with the root of the problem within prisons--overall, yes, prisons are the BIGGEST issue and should therefore be dissolved and critiqued. Yet at the moment, we do have to deal with prisons existing, and we should do what we can to both work towards prisoner rights and welfare alongside deconstructing prisons. However, most (MOST) abuse towards prisoners are done by...white men. That's not to say that hiring more women, trans, GNC, and people of color would make things better, because as far as prisons go, it won't, but the fact that so many beatings and neglect and abuse is because of white men was something that wasn't necessarily mentioned. Perhaps it's inferrable, but I would have liked it if somebody just stated it point-blank.
And now back to the positives! One of my favorite things about this book was that at the end, the editors provide resources to help support your learning about and deconstruction of the prison industrial complex as well as different ways you can help the various movements currently going on! AND, this book is published by an anarchist press that will give you a 30% discount if you purchase a book to go towards a prison. Which is amazing!
Overall, this book is truly a great resource, and I'm glad to have happened upon it when I did.
Review cross-listed here!