A Second Chance

A Federal Judge Decides Who Deserves It

De: Frederic Block

Narrado por: Joe Barrett

Murderous mafia capos. The police officer who brutalized Abner Louima. A purveyor of child pornography. These are some of the defendants to have come before US District Court Judge Frederic Block to ask for reductions in their prison sentences. All of them have been found guilty and have already served decades in prison, but under the 2018 First Step Act they are entitled to petition for reconsideration and release.

In a rare glimpse behind the bench, Judge Block recounts the cases of six incarcerated people who have done heinous things but have nevertheless petitioned him for their release. He then explains the criteria the First Step Act has spelled out for his consideration. And, in a novel twist, he asks the listener, "What would you do?"

Judge Block puts us out of our suspense in a third section of the book where he tells us what he did do in each case and why, as he weighs each compassionate release request, evaluating issues ranging from "the trial tax," to sentencing disparities, to judicial incompetence. Finally, Judge Block makes the compelling case that the First Step Act should be extended to state court judges, since state prisons house about ninety percent of those incarcerated. In a book that could be the basis for a new season of Law & Order, Judge Block challenges our ideas about punishment and justice.

©2024 Judge Frederic Block; Coda copyright of Miriam Krinsky and Norman L. Reimer (P)2024 Kalorama

Good but Dense

This was very well written and informative but a touch dry and dense. I finished the book but didn't find myself dying to get back to it when I put it down. I do recommend this for anyone with interest in criminal justice reform. The info was extremely current and referenced new laws and cases that occurred just a couple months before I lilisted to the book.