Who recommended Locking Up Our Own?

3 people have recommended Locking Up Our Own in the interviews, articles and reading lists we track, including Ezra Klein, Jason Stanley and Jessica Gomes. Each name links to their full reading list.

Is Locking Up Our Own worth reading?

3 people we track recommend it. It is best for: a policy analyst drafting a briefing on the roots of mass incarceration — wants documented historical context about local politics and trade-offs now shaping reform debates; a city council member preparing to argue sentencing or policing changes — needs nuanced background on why community leaders once backed punitive measures; a law student or public-interest lawyer studying criminal-justice history — seeks close readings of cases and political decisions that shaped contemporary practice. It may not suit: you'll likely put it down when long legal and municipal case histories pile up and the narrative slows — readers wanting a brisk polemic or short chapters may stop here; annoying if you prefer tidy villains and simple solutions — the book emphasizes moral ambiguity and collective responsibility rather than blame‑the‑system-only narratives; not a how-to: skip if you want practical step-by-step reform plans or exercises, since the focus is historical analysis and moral reflection, not policy prescriptions.

What books are like Locking Up Our Own?

Readers of Locking Up Our Own also turn to The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, The World as It Is and Out of Control, based on the lists and recommenders these books share.

Locking Up Our Own: Recommended by 3 People

Name: Locking Up Our Own
Author: James Forman Jr.

In recent years, America’s criminal justice system has become the subject of an increasingly urgent debate. Critics have assailed the rise of mass incarceration, emphasizing its disproportionate impact on people of color. As James Forman, Jr., points out, however, the war on crime that began in the 1970s was supported by many African American leade...