{"product_id":"locking-up-our-own-crime-and-punishment-in-black-america","title":"Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America","description":"Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction\nLong-listed for the National Book Award\nLos Angeles Times Book Prizes Finalist\nNew York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of the Year\n\n\"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\n\nFormer 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.\n\nForman 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.\n\nA 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.\u003cbr\u003eASIN: 0374537445\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: DBV.0374537445.A\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Acceptable\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Forman Jr., James\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: This copy has clearly been enjoyed—expect noticeable shelf wear and some minor creases to the cover. Binding is strong, and all pages are legible. May contain previous library markings or stamps.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Dream Books Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41373973348410,"sku":"DBV.0374537445.A","price":4.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/6011\/0138\/files\/0374537445-0.jpg?v=1776912126","url":"https:\/\/shop.dreambooksco.com\/products\/locking-up-our-own-crime-and-punishment-in-black-america","provider":"Dream Books Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}