“I loved it” is the wrong lead for a book like this; that said, Incarceration Nations is an excellent book, I’m glad I selected and read it, and it has pointed me on the road to much more reading in the field.
I’ve done a tiny amount of Big Sister work at a women’s prison, and it wore me out. I had no theoretical preparation for the work; recidivism in the group we sponsored was 75%. I had no way to process this experience.
“Most” of the people in prison are not vicious psychopaths; most of them will get out, and many of those will have an incredibly difficult time returning to life outside prison. If you are outside the system entirely, reading Incarceration Nations will shift your perspective toward “what works, and what could be useful.” I hate trying to discuss prison reform with people who have absolutely no experience with any part of the system; at least I can send them to this book now. (Won’t help them, any; but it’s still a reference.)
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