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A review by thisisgettingstupid999
Justice on Trial: Radical Solutions for a System at Breaking Point by Chris Daw
4.0
Imagine a town, around the size of Scunthorpe or Wakefield, entirely populated by those who’ve committed (or been accused of) a crime. That’s a reflection of the size of the prison population in England and Wales today. In his book, Daw shows that the US ‘City of Incarceration’ is their fifth largest population centre ( New York and LA being the top two). And yet, neither Britain or the US have consistently falling crime rates and the prison population (and the number of prison spaces) is ever growing. If its aim is to reduce crime, prison doesn’t work.
‘Justice on Trial’ puts forward an alternative . Daw makes it clear that his is not a ‘ “soft” liberal perspective’ – his concern is to ‘prevent as many people as possible becoming victims’. So he’d like to see drugs legalised and an end to the incarceration of children. Furthermore, for those who need to be controlled for the safety of society, he advocates the use of technology for this purpose.
Having worked in many public sector organisations, and seen how difficult it is to find a fully functioning photocopier, I’m sceptical that Daw’s high tech alternatives to prison are likely in the forseeable future.
But the main ideas of this well-researched and persuasive book should be carried forth by those with political power and the bravery to tell the truth about the criminal justice system.
Read this book.
‘Justice on Trial’ puts forward an alternative . Daw makes it clear that his is not a ‘ “soft” liberal perspective’ – his concern is to ‘prevent as many people as possible becoming victims’. So he’d like to see drugs legalised and an end to the incarceration of children. Furthermore, for those who need to be controlled for the safety of society, he advocates the use of technology for this purpose.
Having worked in many public sector organisations, and seen how difficult it is to find a fully functioning photocopier, I’m sceptical that Daw’s high tech alternatives to prison are likely in the forseeable future.
But the main ideas of this well-researched and persuasive book should be carried forth by those with political power and the bravery to tell the truth about the criminal justice system.
Read this book.