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Columbia Global Reports
What's Prison For?: Punishment and Rehabilitation in the Age of Mass Incarceration
What happens inside our prisons?
What's Prison For? examines the “incarceration” part of “mass incarceration.” What happens inside prisons and jails, where nearly two million Americans are held? Bill Keller, one of America’s most accomplished journalists, has spent years deeply immersed in the subject. He argues that prisons must become places where rehabilitation is a top priority, and introduces us to reformers who are trying to prepare incarcerated people for a better life on the outside.
Keller takes us inside the walls of our prisons, where we meet men and women who have found purpose while in state custody; American corrections officials who have set out to learn from Europe’s state-of-the-art prison campuses; a rehab unit within a Pennsylvania prison, dubbed Little Scandinavia, where lifers serve as mentors; a college behind bars in San Quentin; a rare women's prison that helps imprisoned mothers bond with their children; and Keller's own classroom at Sing Sing. What's Prison For? is an indispensable guide to our prison system, and a powerful argument that the status quo is a shameful waste of human potential.
What's Prison For? examines the “incarceration” part of “mass incarceration.” What happens inside prisons and jails, where nearly two million Americans are held? Bill Keller, one of America’s most accomplished journalists, has spent years deeply immersed in the subject. He argues that prisons must become places where rehabilitation is a top priority, and introduces us to reformers who are trying to prepare incarcerated people for a better life on the outside.
Keller takes us inside the walls of our prisons, where we meet men and women who have found purpose while in state custody; American corrections officials who have set out to learn from Europe’s state-of-the-art prison campuses; a rehab unit within a Pennsylvania prison, dubbed Little Scandinavia, where lifers serve as mentors; a college behind bars in San Quentin; a rare women's prison that helps imprisoned mothers bond with their children; and Keller's own classroom at Sing Sing. What's Prison For? is an indispensable guide to our prison system, and a powerful argument that the status quo is a shameful waste of human potential.
160 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2022
16 people are currently reading
2014 people want to read
About the author
Bill Keller
19 books14 followersBill Keller (born January 18, 1949) is Executive Editor of The New York Times. Keller is the son of former chairman and chief executive of the Chevron Corporation, George M. Keller. Bill Keller attended the Roman Catholic schools St. Matthews and Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, California.
After graduating from Pomona College in 1970 where he began his journalistic career by founding an independent newspaper called The Collegian (later called The Collage), he was a reporter in Portland with The Oregonian, the Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report, and at The Dallas Times Herald.
Keller is married to Emma Gilbey Keller and has two daughters named Alice and Molly.
After graduating from Pomona College in 1970 where he began his journalistic career by founding an independent newspaper called The Collegian (later called The Collage), he was a reporter in Portland with The Oregonian, the Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report, and at The Dallas Times Herald.
Keller is married to Emma Gilbey Keller and has two daughters named Alice and Molly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 5, 2022
...[D]ecades of studies identify four main conditions that foretell violent behavior: shame, isolation, exposure to violence, and a diminished ability to meet one's economic needs. ...Those are defining characteristics of life in American prison. p30
WHAT'S PRISON FOR? is very well done, but it's a difficult read. It's short, precise, and brilliantly researched, but I needed almost a month to finish it. That's because it's dense in the way that I felt in my own chest.
No matter where one comes down on the issues of mass incarceration in the US and the political maneuvers throughout US history that have fueled and funded it, it's not likely you can consider the information included in this book without feeling empathy for the prisoners, the guards, their families, even administrators tasked with meeting ever conflicting demands.
One of Keller's primary purposes for WHAT'S PRISON FOR? is to argue that inmate rehabilitation should be prison's primary function. To support his idea, Keller provides ample evidence through reports from European prison models and special programs run in sections of US prisons. In these kinds of programs--which include therapy, addiction treatment, parenting classes, education like GED and college prep programs as well as college courses--prisoners can find ways to change their behaviors and belief patterns, instead of reentering society "...so accustomed to being compliant that they had lost the ability to make elementary choices--how to organize your day, let alone your life" p69.
Keller does an excellent job of presenting this difficult subject from a number of perspectives, while always keeping in view his all important goal of relieving the existing hardships of the most overlooked and disenfranchised population in the US: convicted prisoners. This requires both extraordinary delicacy and careful and thorough research, which make this book both readable and fascinating, if not necessarily a page-turner.
Thank you Netgalley for my ARC.
Trigger warnings below.
Rating 4.5 stars, rounded up
Finished August 2022
Recommended for fans of journalistic nonfiction, progressive themes, social justice themes
Triggers: prison, jail, arrest, police and guards, and mention of the following: violence, SA, physical and emotional abuse, alcohol and drugs, child abuse and neglect, I couldn't list them all probably
*Follow my Instagram book blog for all my reviews, challenges, and book lists! http://www.instagram.com/donasbooks *
WHAT'S PRISON FOR? is very well done, but it's a difficult read. It's short, precise, and brilliantly researched, but I needed almost a month to finish it. That's because it's dense in the way that I felt in my own chest.
No matter where one comes down on the issues of mass incarceration in the US and the political maneuvers throughout US history that have fueled and funded it, it's not likely you can consider the information included in this book without feeling empathy for the prisoners, the guards, their families, even administrators tasked with meeting ever conflicting demands.
One of Keller's primary purposes for WHAT'S PRISON FOR? is to argue that inmate rehabilitation should be prison's primary function. To support his idea, Keller provides ample evidence through reports from European prison models and special programs run in sections of US prisons. In these kinds of programs--which include therapy, addiction treatment, parenting classes, education like GED and college prep programs as well as college courses--prisoners can find ways to change their behaviors and belief patterns, instead of reentering society "...so accustomed to being compliant that they had lost the ability to make elementary choices--how to organize your day, let alone your life" p69.
Keller does an excellent job of presenting this difficult subject from a number of perspectives, while always keeping in view his all important goal of relieving the existing hardships of the most overlooked and disenfranchised population in the US: convicted prisoners. This requires both extraordinary delicacy and careful and thorough research, which make this book both readable and fascinating, if not necessarily a page-turner.
Thank you Netgalley for my ARC.
Trigger warnings below.
Rating 4.5 stars, rounded up
Finished August 2022
Recommended for fans of journalistic nonfiction, progressive themes, social justice themes
Triggers: prison, jail, arrest, police and guards, and mention of the following: violence, SA, physical and emotional abuse, alcohol and drugs, child abuse and neglect, I couldn't list them all probably
*Follow my Instagram book blog for all my reviews, challenges, and book lists! http://www.instagram.com/donasbooks *
July 25, 2022
This is a short and to the point view of our mass incarceration problem in America. It was really impressive because it has very recent information, not statistics that are already old by the time they’re published.
This is an important topic, especially at a moment when one side of the political aisle actually believes there is an under-incarceration problem.
We don’t give people who are struggling many options here. People with mental health problems or those suffering from addiction are thrown in the clink, the same as someone who’s committed a violent crime.
This takes you through the history of incarceration. What it was meant to be and what it’s become through fear-mongering politicians and overcrowding, in part due to lack of access to adequate legal representation.
It’s always wild to me hearing a prosecutor brag about their “flawless” record, knowing it means they’ve locked up some innocents and that we pay them with our tax dollars to convict us of crimes they can’t reasonably think we committed.
Many are tricked into accepting bad deals from the fear of prosecutorial bullying and biases of juries. There is a lot of information in a small package here.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.
This is an important topic, especially at a moment when one side of the political aisle actually believes there is an under-incarceration problem.
We don’t give people who are struggling many options here. People with mental health problems or those suffering from addiction are thrown in the clink, the same as someone who’s committed a violent crime.
This takes you through the history of incarceration. What it was meant to be and what it’s become through fear-mongering politicians and overcrowding, in part due to lack of access to adequate legal representation.
It’s always wild to me hearing a prosecutor brag about their “flawless” record, knowing it means they’ve locked up some innocents and that we pay them with our tax dollars to convict us of crimes they can’t reasonably think we committed.
Many are tricked into accepting bad deals from the fear of prosecutorial bullying and biases of juries. There is a lot of information in a small package here.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.
July 14, 2022
As someone who has read a lot about the prison crisis, I found this book laid out the recent history of the system in a very digestible way that would be very useful if someone had never read about the copy before. It did a good job at including more recent data and speaking to individuals who had been in the system
August 15, 2022
3.5/5
This book is a solid overview of some of the issues facing the incarceration system in the United States. The primary focus is the lack of rehabilitative access for those spending time in prison. The book benefitted from the well-researched and thorough descriptions of programs around the world and the country where some of these issues are successfully being addressed. I did appreciate the discussions about how COVID-19 has impacted rehabilitative programs in prisons, as well as general effects on prison safety arising from the pandemic. Overall, this book is a strong work of journalism that can be used as a good introduction to a series of incredibly complex problems.
I did feel that this book failed to hit some topics within the narrow scope of the project. In particular, the book largely glossed over the stigma of a criminal record. It mentioned "ban the box" and had a few specific anecdotes about housing issues, but may have benefitted from a stronger section about how these issues then lead to incarceration. In other words, more discussion about the cycle of incarceration could have been helpful to readers. Additionally, the book touched on several parts of prison life that could give people trauma but did not fully explain what trauma means for people either while still in prison or once released. These are a few things that came to my mind while reading.
I'd definitely recommend this book to someone looking for an easily understandable first reading about American mass incarceration.
This book is a solid overview of some of the issues facing the incarceration system in the United States. The primary focus is the lack of rehabilitative access for those spending time in prison. The book benefitted from the well-researched and thorough descriptions of programs around the world and the country where some of these issues are successfully being addressed. I did appreciate the discussions about how COVID-19 has impacted rehabilitative programs in prisons, as well as general effects on prison safety arising from the pandemic. Overall, this book is a strong work of journalism that can be used as a good introduction to a series of incredibly complex problems.
I did feel that this book failed to hit some topics within the narrow scope of the project. In particular, the book largely glossed over the stigma of a criminal record. It mentioned "ban the box" and had a few specific anecdotes about housing issues, but may have benefitted from a stronger section about how these issues then lead to incarceration. In other words, more discussion about the cycle of incarceration could have been helpful to readers. Additionally, the book touched on several parts of prison life that could give people trauma but did not fully explain what trauma means for people either while still in prison or once released. These are a few things that came to my mind while reading.
I'd definitely recommend this book to someone looking for an easily understandable first reading about American mass incarceration.
March 1, 2025
I'm privileged enough to have never been directly affected by the American prison system, so this was always going to be a pretty informative book for me. But I'm still surprised by just how concise and sweeping such a short book managed to be; damn near every sub-topic I was thinking about was addressed before the end.
This is a well-researched dive into a facet of life that's at the back of everyone's mind but also one we don't like to think about. Early on there's a quote referenced: "If you've seen one prison... you've seen one prison." Jumping around to multiple real-world locations was an effective way to hammer that down, showing the differences in how each place deals with race, college programs for inmates, female inmates, how thy handled COVID lockdowns, and how prisons prepare (or rather how they don't prepare) people for their eventual release. There are even separate chapters focusing on the staff at these facilities, and how prisons in other countries compare.
I was expecting more suggestions or proposals for future goals of prison reform, but this read more like a journalistic exposé rather than a persuasive essay. Regardless, this series/publisher continues to be a great source for polished examinations of niche contemporary subjects, but this stands out as one of the better ones I've read.
This is a well-researched dive into a facet of life that's at the back of everyone's mind but also one we don't like to think about. Early on there's a quote referenced: "If you've seen one prison... you've seen one prison." Jumping around to multiple real-world locations was an effective way to hammer that down, showing the differences in how each place deals with race, college programs for inmates, female inmates, how thy handled COVID lockdowns, and how prisons prepare (or rather how they don't prepare) people for their eventual release. There are even separate chapters focusing on the staff at these facilities, and how prisons in other countries compare.
I was expecting more suggestions or proposals for future goals of prison reform, but this read more like a journalistic exposé rather than a persuasive essay. Regardless, this series/publisher continues to be a great source for polished examinations of niche contemporary subjects, but this stands out as one of the better ones I've read.
May 24, 2022
rated: 4 stars
as an australian with little to no understanding of the cruelty of the american prison system, this was an incredibly eye-opening read. there is some really deep expertise in this book, and one of its strengths was that the experts that it used to talk about prison reform were mostly people who had been incarcerated themselves and were now working in the area professionally. there was no shying away from the idea that the prison system needs reform, and the wide variety of viewpoints of just how far that reform needed to go, stretching all the way to abolition, was really interesting to read and learn about.
the one thing i think that was missing from this book was exploration, or even just reasons, of what the negatives of the nordic prison systems are. it was great to see examples of how prison reform internationally had worked and how passionate activists were using that, but i struggle to believe that there is a perfect system for incarceration, and am now very curious about what these flaws could be.
overall, i think this was a great entry read into understanding america's incarceration system, and learning about this from the viewpoint of how can we reform it was a really strong way to introduce me to what the underlying problems of the prison system in america are.
I got an advanced copy of this book from Columbia Global Reports through NetGalley.
as an australian with little to no understanding of the cruelty of the american prison system, this was an incredibly eye-opening read. there is some really deep expertise in this book, and one of its strengths was that the experts that it used to talk about prison reform were mostly people who had been incarcerated themselves and were now working in the area professionally. there was no shying away from the idea that the prison system needs reform, and the wide variety of viewpoints of just how far that reform needed to go, stretching all the way to abolition, was really interesting to read and learn about.
the one thing i think that was missing from this book was exploration, or even just reasons, of what the negatives of the nordic prison systems are. it was great to see examples of how prison reform internationally had worked and how passionate activists were using that, but i struggle to believe that there is a perfect system for incarceration, and am now very curious about what these flaws could be.
overall, i think this was a great entry read into understanding america's incarceration system, and learning about this from the viewpoint of how can we reform it was a really strong way to introduce me to what the underlying problems of the prison system in america are.
I got an advanced copy of this book from Columbia Global Reports through NetGalley.
November 3, 2024
Totally just my personal review for record keeping for myself! Take it lightly! I read another book on this topic by Angela Y. Davis (which got a shout out in this book as well!) and thought it was really unconvincing so I’ve been looking for other books on this same topic ever since. I was desperately trying to reach my reading challenge for this year when i came across this book! What an absolute jackpot! It’s only 160 pages.
Anyway i started reading it right away. I think it’s good but it can be better. It’s like the author spent some time reading all the good books on this topic and compile them into this book. Like he’s raising all the good questions but never really dive deep into any of them. Like sometimes it felt like a cliffhanger. One dilemma that I’m really interested in is the (somewhat over-the-top) surveillance of sex offenders specifically (or just offenders in general. Like obviously it was there for a reason. But the author pointed out how kind of unlivable it can be: (paraphrased) “they cannot live in public housing. They cannot live within 1,000 feet of a daycare center, park, playground or school. The county says they can’t live within 2,500 feet of a school”. Yeah if you think about it, it’s really hard to find a place to live under these restrictions. But what’s a potential solution?? None was offered by the author.
So, in conclusion, i think it’s a good book in the sense that it’s an excellent essay i wrote for a class when i spent enough time reading the sources and not procrastinating til last minute. But it’s not really stick out to me as a good argument for decreasing mass incarceration.
Anyway i started reading it right away. I think it’s good but it can be better. It’s like the author spent some time reading all the good books on this topic and compile them into this book. Like he’s raising all the good questions but never really dive deep into any of them. Like sometimes it felt like a cliffhanger. One dilemma that I’m really interested in is the (somewhat over-the-top) surveillance of sex offenders specifically (or just offenders in general. Like obviously it was there for a reason. But the author pointed out how kind of unlivable it can be: (paraphrased) “they cannot live in public housing. They cannot live within 1,000 feet of a daycare center, park, playground or school. The county says they can’t live within 2,500 feet of a school”. Yeah if you think about it, it’s really hard to find a place to live under these restrictions. But what’s a potential solution?? None was offered by the author.
So, in conclusion, i think it’s a good book in the sense that it’s an excellent essay i wrote for a class when i spent enough time reading the sources and not procrastinating til last minute. But it’s not really stick out to me as a good argument for decreasing mass incarceration.
March 20, 2024
i didn’t like it but i did feel like i learned some things. i’m just happy i get to add it to my reading goal :’)
January 16, 2023
Great evaluation of an important topic and compliment to reading The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.
May 12, 2023
This book is an exploration of the American prison system. It goes into a brief history of jails/prisons and how they work and function. It talks about the reasons that people are put into jail in the first place and whether or not the current system is effective at achieving any of those. It shows some positive aspects of several Europe prison systems and how those positive could be brought to the States to make out system better. It takes about how education and rehab services could help ease peoples entrance to mainstream life after they leave jail/prison. It looks at the differences between and men and womens prison/jail. It briefly dips into how Covid affected the penitentiary system. And it also talks about how the job affects the officers that work there.
I absolutely loved this book and blew through it in a day. It’s very well written and feels well researched. There are points that you are going to get angry/frustrated because it does such a good job showing how frustrating the American penitentiary system can be. It’s interesting to dip into the European systems but the book sees them with rose colored glasses. It only talks about the positives and no negatives. It does a good job of humanizing the people that it talks about. Overall I highly recommend this book for nonfiction readers and people that like reading about the penitentiary system.
I absolutely loved this book and blew through it in a day. It’s very well written and feels well researched. There are points that you are going to get angry/frustrated because it does such a good job showing how frustrating the American penitentiary system can be. It’s interesting to dip into the European systems but the book sees them with rose colored glasses. It only talks about the positives and no negatives. It does a good job of humanizing the people that it talks about. Overall I highly recommend this book for nonfiction readers and people that like reading about the penitentiary system.
October 27, 2022
Thanks so much for this Giveaway!!
I was a medical assistant at the Sheriff’s office in my city, and saw so many things that needed to change. I ultimately had to leave because when I started advocating for those individuals, some employees and CO’s pushed me out, stating that I couldn’t be on both sides, and demanding an “us vs them” mentality.
I absolutely agree with the author of this book. There is NOT being enough done to encourage and rehabilitate those within prison walls.
I’ve personally witnessed injustices such as feeding those individuals “meat” with a warning on the package stating that it’s contents were not meant for human consumption. If we can’t even feed them, at the very least, actual food that IS meant for us, then it is a real challenge for bigger issues to get taken care of, such as rehabilitation back into society.
The subject of this book is something I’m passionate about. This was well written and had some great suggestions and points that I hope the government takes notes on. Thanks again for sending me this one. It’s a keeper!
I was a medical assistant at the Sheriff’s office in my city, and saw so many things that needed to change. I ultimately had to leave because when I started advocating for those individuals, some employees and CO’s pushed me out, stating that I couldn’t be on both sides, and demanding an “us vs them” mentality.
I absolutely agree with the author of this book. There is NOT being enough done to encourage and rehabilitate those within prison walls.
I’ve personally witnessed injustices such as feeding those individuals “meat” with a warning on the package stating that it’s contents were not meant for human consumption. If we can’t even feed them, at the very least, actual food that IS meant for us, then it is a real challenge for bigger issues to get taken care of, such as rehabilitation back into society.
The subject of this book is something I’m passionate about. This was well written and had some great suggestions and points that I hope the government takes notes on. Thanks again for sending me this one. It’s a keeper!
June 11, 2022
What’s Prison For by Bob Keller, it’s a discussion and text about what is the point of prisons and what do we hope to gain by locking people up? I was happy to see that Mr. Keller put all opinions in this book and although I think it was a parent which side of the lane he stood, Both sides were represented. Although I didn’t agree with most of the opinions I do realize that getting a detention system that works is a very delicate dance. We can’t make them too comfortable and enjoyable because then people will be getting arrested just a nice place to live and food to eat, but then again most of the people in prison deserve another chance in these mandatory senators is a cookie-cutter policy that isn’t working. I also think private prisons are ridiculous people invest money to make money and they make money off the backs of humans to me that is a form of slavery. It’s a throwback to the Jim Crow days when white and black men were arrested to make chain gangs to make money for wealthy businessman. I want to say that I know according to the race charts the prisoners are mostly brown and black and I think that is a side effect of a bigger problem. It stems from stereotyping and how people think about the world around them. If you think the world is only as big as a street you live on you’re going to live accordingly, but I think if you get to see the world has a bigger place your whole attitude changes. I also think if we could catch children with their very young and not focus on our differences but the things we have in common no sympathy and empathy would grow. We fear the unknown and embrace The familiar. I think it is child abuse when you teach a child to hate when you neglect them they have to come up with opinions on their own. OK… I’m going to step down from my soapbox I apologize. I think this book is worth reading it should be mandatory for college students. I was given this book by Nick Galli and Bob Keller the author and I I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any errors as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.
February 16, 2024
Was already familiar with the Marshall Project so I had high expectations for this book which were absolutely met. Short, concise, yet provides a rich history and background on the mass incarceration crisis in America with many, many different references to other reformers in the field and their work for further suggested reading - many of which I knew already and many of which I will now dig into searching their work. As someone who works in a prison setting as a mental health clinician & advocate for youth, a firm believer in rehabilitation, and a reformer, the ending for me was my favorite: "Despite disappointments and frustrations, these people make a small difference in the lives of individual human beings. This book is dedicated to them." ❤️ I don't think I would've fully been able to appreciate this book as fully as I do if I had read it prior to my work experience working in a prison setting because it validated everything I've heard in my experience/training about the culture, the dehumanizing, the soul-crushing intent of the institution. My experiences echoed that of the professors being warned not to do this work that is a calling: "here I was.. being cautioned.. against devoting my actual life to confronting a dire humanitarian crisis: that of the US prison system." Highly recommend this read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2023
Criminal justice reform gets a boost with this book by Keller. He covers a little history, criminal justice in other countries (Norway in particular), and attempts at reform here in the United States. He sources previous works from books, research papers and dissertations, news articles, and stakeholder testimonials from all sides of the issue. The latter group includes policy makers, corrections officials, educators, journalists, and current and formerly incarcerated people.
Four and a half stars. Overall, Keller’s book points to a necessary shift in the criminal justice system in particular and in our society as a whole. To quote Nelson Mandela, “It is said that no-one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but is lowest ones.” My sincere thanks to publisher Columbia Global Reports and the author via Netgalley. This honest review is offered freely.
#WhatsPrisonFor #ColumbiaGlobalReports #BillKeller #CriminalJusticeReform #nonfiction #TheMarshallReport #InsideWeekly #EarHustle #Norway #kindlesallthewaydown
Four and a half stars. Overall, Keller’s book points to a necessary shift in the criminal justice system in particular and in our society as a whole. To quote Nelson Mandela, “It is said that no-one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but is lowest ones.” My sincere thanks to publisher Columbia Global Reports and the author via Netgalley. This honest review is offered freely.
#WhatsPrisonFor #ColumbiaGlobalReports #BillKeller #CriminalJusticeReform #nonfiction #TheMarshallReport #InsideWeekly #EarHustle #Norway #kindlesallthewaydown
February 11, 2023
It doesn’t have to be this way. Mass incarceration is one of the biggest human rights issues facing America today. America incarcerates it’s citizens at the highest rate in the world. Either Americans are the worst people in the world - by a large margin - or our system is completely broken. Keller shows the injustice at every stage of incarceration - racial and class disparities in arrests and sentencing, abhorrent living conditions and abuse during incarceration, and a societal sentence that is never escaped for most. The negative effects of the incarceration system extend far beyond the incarcerated, though. Prison staff, friends and families of the incarcerated, and the communities that house the facilities and the ones where Justice-involved people return to all suffer from our current system. We’ve grown far too comfortable with the inhumane treatment of people in incarceration. We lock up far more people than we need to and we lock them up for far longer than necessary. Harsh sentencing and cruel living situations don’t have to be the norm. It doesn’t have to be this way.
January 21, 2025
got this book 2 years ago. i brought it to SF to read on the plane. i read about 1/3rd of it, then my life got complicated and i couldn't find a time to start it again. july 25th, something clicked -- i was going to complete this damn book. and i did on the 26th. what took two years could've taken like 5 hours. but sometimes you just can't. all of that to say, i couldn't put the book down on the 25th. it is so informative. really admire bill keller and the tmj. highly recommend to all. the book really shows how many different ways our system doesn't work, and potential alternatives. and yet, there still remains a lingering question -- do all criminals deserve to be dignified -- do they deserve those options? how far is too far? regardless, this prison system isnt built for rehabilitation and that remains a problem when a good percentage of inmates today seem to deserve a second chance. there's a lot more pay out in supporting incarcerate individuals than there is in locking them up, neglecting them and dehumanizing them.
December 14, 2022
🎧 Read as an audiobook 🎧
What's Prison For? was a fascinating and compelling read that gives a broad look into mass incarceration in the US and compassionately argues for better rehabilitation. Keller backs up his points with statistics, and draws comparison to countries that are a lot more 'developed' in rehabilitation schemes. Keller also highlights what is working. Whilst I can't speak to the accuracy of the data or offer much critique, I think this book raised many thought-provoking points. Ultimately the prison system is not working, and offenders are stuck in a perpetual loop - something needs to be done about it.
Most interestingly, this book really got me thinking about what crimes are considered 'forgivable' and what crimes aren't. The case of Michelle Jones and her rescinded Harvard offer was truly food for thought.
Overall, an easily digestible and important read. Would highly recommend.
Rating: 4/5
What's Prison For? was a fascinating and compelling read that gives a broad look into mass incarceration in the US and compassionately argues for better rehabilitation. Keller backs up his points with statistics, and draws comparison to countries that are a lot more 'developed' in rehabilitation schemes. Keller also highlights what is working. Whilst I can't speak to the accuracy of the data or offer much critique, I think this book raised many thought-provoking points. Ultimately the prison system is not working, and offenders are stuck in a perpetual loop - something needs to be done about it.
Most interestingly, this book really got me thinking about what crimes are considered 'forgivable' and what crimes aren't. The case of Michelle Jones and her rescinded Harvard offer was truly food for thought.
Overall, an easily digestible and important read. Would highly recommend.
Rating: 4/5
November 9, 2022
A brief summary of the history and challenges facing our US prison / incarceration systems. The early part of the book briefly touches on the what / why component that the title alludes to, but the remainder of the book is mostly filled with anecdotal evidence / feedback of frontline experiences from everyone from the incarcerated to those running / planning "the system." Bottom line: our US system is broken and needs fixing. Okay, yes I knew that prior to cracking the book. But how? The author uses Norway as a case study for what it "could look like." While interesting to consider, it's not a viable model to emulate in the US for a myriad of reasons. The book is well written and does offer some helpful insights for consideration, but it left me wanting more.
March 20, 2023
A fabulous treatment of incarceration in America (and, by way of comparison, some other countries briefly), covering history, philosophy and purpose (punishment? rehabilitation? vengeance?), race and gender, theories of crime, government policies and funding, life after incarceration, and more. A really impressive, helpful, moving, and well-written book. I especially appreciated Keller’s repeated inclusion of the voices of the incarcerated themselves.
I’m also impressed with this series, Columbia Global Reports — recognizing that a short book can make much more of an impact because people are more likely to actually read it!
I’m also impressed with this series, Columbia Global Reports — recognizing that a short book can make much more of an impact because people are more likely to actually read it!
Read
April 3, 2023I read this for research on a paper I’m writing and it was enlightening. This book really made me question how we view incarceration and its purpose. It is evident this author did a lot research in order to present a well rounded view of each aspect of the prison system and how each element can be a source for change and progress.
April 23, 2024
This was honestly one of the most compelling books I’ve read in a while. I blew through it. If you are passionate about changing the depressing and dehumanizing incarceration statistics in the US start with this book.
Want to read
May 2, 2022Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
October 11, 2022
The author gave detailed and convincing arguments for why rehabilitation needs to be a priority for our prison systems. This was written in a way that was easy to read.
February 5, 2023
Very dry, as about the serious subject you'd expect but lacking the humanity that would bring reality to a system of incarceration. Disappointing from this NYT writer/editor of the Marshall Project.
November 30, 2023
Super recent information as of 2023, and really great reading about the prison system from the perspective of a journalist. 10/10 short great information packed read.
February 26, 2024
This book was worth the read. It was short and very informative. I will forever think differently about the prison system in our country.
March 24, 2024
not gonna lie read this for class but i still wanted to add it. it’s a short book packed with information.
June 22, 2024
There’s nothing particularly new or novel in this book. If you’re remotely aware of issues in our “justice” system, this is redundant. It’s well written, but that’s about it.
August 17, 2024
Good, short source of information on the prison system, its flaws, and its solutions.
December 7, 2022
Thanks to the publisher and Goodreads for my copy.
A brief, succinct look at incarceration in the US, including the rationales for it, and how our country has managed to have the highest per capita rate in the western world (who knows about China, N Korea, Russia, Iran, etc.?), without much effect on the crime rate, or recidivism (which may be closely related). He gives examples of what has worked in various places, but doesn’t offer much in the way of a truly comprehensive hypothesis as to how we can change. Still, a very thought provoking read. I passed it on to a relative who is a Federal Judge.
A brief, succinct look at incarceration in the US, including the rationales for it, and how our country has managed to have the highest per capita rate in the western world (who knows about China, N Korea, Russia, Iran, etc.?), without much effect on the crime rate, or recidivism (which may be closely related). He gives examples of what has worked in various places, but doesn’t offer much in the way of a truly comprehensive hypothesis as to how we can change. Still, a very thought provoking read. I passed it on to a relative who is a Federal Judge.
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