A review by sinsunday
Prison Industrial Complex for Beginners by James Braxton Peterson

informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

This book served to give a very brief and surface level introduction to the PIC. It gives out some very important information but I find that the literature does not try to convince the reader - you already have to come in with a certain open mindedness to the ideas presented. Overall would recommend to someone that doesn't know where to start on this topic, but further reading and education is needed after this to get a full understanding, which I think is the point of the book. I am a little dissapointed in how it kept such an 'inside the system' perspective for reworking the system that allows for PIC to happen - I think a lot of big factors - like politicians receiving bribes or 'campaign donations' for their cooperation - pretty much undiscussed. The book also wrongly assumes that judges are not biased, that reducing prosecuter power and leaving decisions up to a judge will ensure fair outcome. While im sure it will reduce bias, it will never heal it completely. This book settles for a lot of compromises, for small measures of progress, which in our current situation I understand, but it should be teaching readers that we can aim for more. No more settling.