Prison by Any Other Name

The Harmful Consequences of Popular Reforms

By: Maya Schenwar, Victoria Law, Michelle Alexander - foreword

Narrated by: Emily Durante

Electronic monitoring. Locked-down drug treatment centers. House arrest. Mandated psychiatric treatment. Data-driven surveillance. Extended probation. These are some of the key alternatives held up as cost-effective substitutes for jails and prisons. But many of these so-called reforms actually widen the net, weaving in new strands of punishment and control, and bringing new populations, who would not otherwise have been subject to imprisonment, under physical control by the state.

As mainstream public opinion has begun to turn against mass incarceration, political figures on both sides of the spectrum are pushing for reform. But - though they're promoted as steps to confront high rates of imprisonment - many of these measures are transforming our homes and communities into prisons instead.

In Prison by Any Other Name, activist journalists Maya Schenwar and Victoria Law reveal the way the kinder, gentler narrative of reform can obscure agendas of social control and challenge us to question the ways we replicate the status quo when pursuing change. A foreword by Michelle Alexander situates the book in the context of criminal justice reform conversations. Finally, the book offers a bolder vision for truly alternative justice practices.

©2020 Maya Schenwar and Victoria Law (P)2020 Tantor

I would give this book 6 stars out of 5.

If we would ALL read this book, see it's truths and consider it's suggestions, we'd have a better world.

well thought out

The reading tone was about right for the type of book this is, almost android like, versus emotional. I prefer emotions in the voice over myself.

One doesn't have to agree with the views of the author to understand the points they are getting across, to recognize the unfairness, the need for change. American's spend a lot of money on prisons, from the up keep of those within the prison system to the up keep on the buildings and the cost of people to run the places. we may be better served to try a didn't approach

please read!

if you are even remotely interested in prison abolition, you must read this! very digestible length, gives great background and history on why our current system/proposed reforms are ineffective and how there are better solutions already in practice. excellent book!

MUST READ!!!

Every American needs to read this book and immediately start putting the ideas into practice. I am starting today. Will you join me?

A MUST READ

I really want to recommend this book...so much so, I wrote a long promo for it lmaoooo....
Here goes:

As it should, our perspective on the world changes the more experiences we have with humanity. When I was in graduate school I was certain I knew the ways in which the world turned, the motives that stirred people, the way we interacted with each other. I knew I didn’t understand everything, and I was eager to be open to more, but I really felt my foundation of knowledge seemed secure. It was a safe and comforting feeling.

My first day as an intern therapist, I sat across from my very client ever, an unhoused individual on the sex offender’s registry who had a diagnosis in his chart from a previous therapist that read “Anti-Social Personality Disorder; VERY manipulative behavior patterns, be vigilant”. My nervous baby therapist hands probably shook as I handed him the consent paperwork to sign. I wish I could say I made a big impact on this person, I probably didn’t. I was clumsy and all over the place in sessions, trying to use different theory models and approaches I was learning and failing miserably. Not much progress was made that I could write in his charts; I doubt he would even remember me.

I bring up this long-winded story (thanks for reading if you still are!) because this time period in my life, this client, that stuffy old office was the beginning of me realizing how terrifyingly the system is, how it fails generations of people from birth until death, and how the criminal justice system in particular plays a huge role in most people’s lives. I am admittedly ashamed it took so long, but this is the beginning of that foundation of knowledge crumbling. I was seeing first hand, in the lives of clients I cared deeply about, how the justice system chains people (primarily of color) into a form of modern day slavery.

The whole world is rightfully talking about reproductive rights currently, and also, I believe it is important to include conversations about the systems which affect those rights; everything is frightfully connected when you take a step back and look.

People in power go round and round in conversational circles discussing the nuances of concepts such as abortion, crime rates, poverty, homelessness, drug abuse, women’s rights, etc. but why is nobody dissecting it to its core? The prison system was established in 1891, have we seen any benefits? Are there less incarcerated individuals? Are rates of recidivism down? Actually, there has been a 500% INCREASE over the past 40 years…we are moving astronomically backwards. Yet we continue to let the system reign its vile power over individuals who will likely never find a way out its grip, albeit not because they aren’t desperately trying.

This is a long plug for a book I didn’t even write lol, but it is an important book I wish everyone would read. I wish we would take a giant step away from everything we thought we knew, or think we understand and really look at this criminal justice system from a fresh lens. Really explore how this system controls, coerces, and manipulates people, families. How this system is the leading character in generational trauma and continuous systemic racism.

I realize I have made some blanket statements without giving much detail, just for the sake of time and space. If you would like to discuss more about any of the topics brought up, you know I would love to as well. I don’t expect everyone to get on the radical abolitionist train (though all are welcomed!) but I do think it is important to have conversations, to really think about this mammoth of a concept and how it does affect every part of our lives as Americans, even if you aren’t directly impacted.

strong case for abolishing prison alternatives too

Each chapter is devoted to demonstrating how various prison alternatives like inpatient treatment, foster care, emonitoring, etc are really just... well, prison by another name.

Highly recommend, learned a lot