In 'Locking Up Our Own,' James Forman, Jr. explores the paradox of crime and justice within African American communities. He reveals how well-meaning policies and local decisions contributed to the very issues they sought to solve. Through poignant narratives, Forman dissects the complexities of race, incarceration, and community responsibility. Readers are confronted with uncomfortable truths about the impact of the war on drugs and the choices made by leaders in these neighborhoods. This thought-provoking work challenges us to reconsider our views on justice and the deep-rooted systemic issues at play.
By James Forman, Jr.
Published: 2018
"We must confront the realities of our criminal justice system and recognize the roles we all play in its construction and maintenance."
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR GENERAL NON-FICTON ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEWS' 10 BEST BOOKS LONG-LISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST, CURRENT INTEREST CATEGORY, LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZES "Locking Up Our Own is an engaging, insightful, and provocative reexamination of over-incarceration in the black community. James Forman Jr. carefully exposes the complexities of crime, criminal justice, and race. What he illuminates should not be ignored." —Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative "A beautiful book, written so well, that gives us the origins and consequences of where we are . . . I can see why [the Pulitzer prize] was awarded." —Trevor Noah, The Daily Show Former public defender James Forman, Jr. is a leading critic of mass incarceration and its disproportionate impact on people of color. In Locking Up Our Own, he seeks to understand the war on crime that began in the 1970s and why it was supported by many African American leaders in the nation’s urban centers. Forman shows us that the first substantial cohort of black mayors, judges, and police chiefs took office amid a surge in crime and drug addiction. Many prominent black officials, including Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry and federal prosecutor Eric Holder, feared that the gains of the civil rights movement were being undermined by lawlessness—and thus embraced tough-on-crime measures, including longer sentences and aggressive police tactics. In the face of skyrocketing murder rates and the proliferation of open-air drug markets, they believed they had no choice. But the policies they adopted would have devastating consequences for residents of poor black neighborhoods. A former D.C. public defender, Forman tells riveting stories of politicians, community activists, police officers, defendants, and crime victims. He writes with compassion about individuals trapped in terrible dilemmas—from the men and women he represented in court to officials struggling to respond to a public safety emergency. Locking Up Our Own enriches our understanding of why our society became so punitive and offers important lessons to anyone concerned about the future of race and the criminal justice system in this country.
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“We must confront the realities of our criminal justice system and recognize the roles we all play in its construction and maintenance.”
Locking Up Our Own
By James Forman, Jr.
Discover a world of knowledge through our extensive collection of book summaries.
James Forman, Jr. is an acclaimed American author and law professor known for his work in criminal justice reform and literature that highlights social justice issues. His notable works include 'Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America,' which received the Pulitzer Prize for History in 2018, and is renowned for its incisive exploration of the complexities of crime and incarceration in African American communities. Forman's writing style is characterized by its clarity, depth, and empathetic understanding, engaging readers with both personal narratives and rigorous analysis. As a former public defender, his professional experiences greatly inform his writing, making significant contributions to contemporary discussions on race, justice, and the American legal system.
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