Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.91 (911 Votes) |
| Asin | : | B071YDMWKM |
| Format Type | : | |
| Number of Pages | : | 500 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-11-02 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Hard truths about crime control policy James Forman has done a masterful job documenting the political, social and criminal justice dynamics of the mass arrest and incarceration period, largely fueled by the crack cocaine epidemic. It’s a complex dynamic that he describes accurately and fairly. This book serves as an important corrective to some of today’s collective amnesia about how we got to the point where we are today with regard to policing and incarceration, and the disparate impact it has had on lower-class African American communities. Forman appropriately focuses on the strategic choices made—by police, prosecutors, judges, and pol. this is a really good read. You find yourself engrossed in the story First of all, this is a really good read. You find yourself engrossed in the story as people's lives become real. Equally important: the story in powerful. Forman presents a nuanced view of the complicated relationship between the Black community and the various policy and administrative moves that brought about the rise in incarceration rates since the 70s. In addition, Forman shows how various strata of the Black community responded to and were impact by the rise in mass incarcerationfrom Black nationalists who felt fighting the war on drugs with punitive measures was part of saving the race; to pastors who felt the cr. Overpowering, supremely impressive and wise Fred Moody I've never read such a thoroughly nuanced discussion of the surprising history behind mass incarceration and racial disparity in law enforcement. One of the best (and most moving) books I've read on any subject, in any genre.
An original and consequential argument about race, crime, and the law. Some politicians and activists saw criminals as a "cancer" that had to be cut away from the rest of black America. As Forman shows, the first substantial cohort of black mayors, judges, and police chiefs took office around the country amid a surge in crime. Others supported harsh measures more reluctantly, believing they had no other choice in the face of a public safety emergency. Many came to believe that tough measures - such as stringent drug and gun laws and "pretext traffic stops" in poor African American neighborhoods - were needed to secure a stable future for black communities. Today, Americans are debating our criminal justice