Readers who understand the criminal justice landscape of the US, based on their own careers and/or their academic scholarship, know that the country's correctional policies are perennially in need of rethinking. The outcomes hoped for are so distant from the actual outcomes that frustration is ubiquitous, for victims, offenders, attorneys, judges, correctional officers, wardens, and communities. The inventive approach adopted by criminal justice professors Douds and Ahlin (both, Penn State Harrisburg) to invite yet more reflection on the shortcomings of current policy and practice is to introduce the biographies of men whose experience of arrest, plea negotiation, incarceration, and reentry tell provoking stories. Salient elements of their stories serve as anchors to every chapter, so that readers are drawn into law and policy analysis through the power of personal anecdotes…. [This] volume…presents current and cogent arguments for why justice would be better served through a wide range of policy initiatives. Policies articulated here blend the authors’ recognition of what research suggests and what the application of professional practice norms could reasonably embrace. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels/libraries.

Choice Reviews

Professors Douds and Ahlin have done a masterful job of weaving compelling true stories into a narrative that brings to the forefront the shortcomings of our penal and legal system in a way that mere statistics cannot convey. This book challenges us to reexamine our views of punishment and the ways we treat our fellow citizens. It is a must read for anyone interested in improving our system of justice.

Edward Latessa, Professor, School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati

America’s correctional system is dominated by self-defeating policies that reflect stereotypes and misdirected emotionalism. This book lays out the case for smarter, humane, and defensible changes. It is a primer in evidence-base policy making.

Todd R. Clear, Rutgers University