Thread by @ScottHech

Heading to beach for a week. Much needed. Going to try not to be on here much. To assist, I’ve packed some pleasure (for me) reading.

First up: @daniellesered’s “Until We Reckon.” A critical examination of how we now treat “violent” crime & a safer, fairer, smarter alternative.

Second: @RachelBarkow’s “Prisoners of Politics.” The leading scholar on the destructive relationship btwn criminal policy & politics breaks down how fear, elections, & misinformation helped create mass incarceration. All to draft a blueprint to break out of the mess we’re in.

Third: @shonhopwood’s paper-“The Effort to Reform the Federal Criminal Justice System.” Provides suggested criteria, a roadmap, to aid those working to end mass incarceration when deciding whether or not to support certain “reforms.” He was center in the First Step Act’s passage.

Wish I could have gotten my hands on @emilybazelon’s forthcoming: “Charged.” Looking at wave of progressive prosecutors & the role that they can (& must) play in the fight to end mass incarceration. But honestly, if I make it thru 1/2 of one book w/ my toddler, I’ll be lucky!

And yes, I know this is all heavy, but I have a hard time consuming criminal justice media in normal life given my everyday work. Reading any more in itself is tough given how much I have to read daily, let alone more on the system. I hear this same complaint from colleagues too.

If you all are interested in checking out any of these, here you go:

Reckon (Sered): amazon.com/Until-We-Recko…

Prisoners (Barkow): amazon.com/Prisoners-Poli…

Reform (Hopwood): yalelawjournal.org/forum/the-effo…

Charged (Bazelon): amazon.com/Charged-Moveme…