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Are Prisons Obsolete?
by Angela Y. Davis • 2003
Prisons are modern slavery, built for profit rather than safety. Reform only makes them stronger.
4.51
31k+
Are Prisons Obsolete? Summary
Are Prisons Obsolete? 89%
Prisons are modern slavery, built for profit rather than safety. Reform only makes them stronger.
by Angela Y. Davis 2003
4.51
31k+ ratings
The Jailhouse Lawyer
by Calvin Duncan • 2025
He taught himself law from death row, freed other inmates, and walked free after 28 years.
4.49
1k+
The Jailhouse Lawyer Summary
The Jailhouse Lawyer 89%
He taught himself law from death row, freed other inmates, and walked free after 28 years.
by Calvin Duncan 2025
4.49
1k+ ratings
Orange Is the New Black
by Piper Kerman • 2010
A decade-old drug crime. A year in federal prison. The hidden world of women doing time.
3.72
207k+
Orange Is the New Black Summary
Orange Is the New Black 89%
A decade-old drug crime. A year in federal prison. The hidden world of women doing time.
by Piper Kerman 2010
3.72
207k+ ratings
Freedom is a Constant Struggle
by Angela Y. Davis • 2015
Ferguson and Palestine share a playbook of state violence. The resistance is building its own.
4.44
36k+
Freedom is a Constant Struggle Summary
Freedom is a Constant Struggle 89%
Ferguson and Palestine share a playbook of state violence. The resistance is building its own.
by Angela Y. Davis 2015
4.44
36k+ ratings
Unusually Cruel
by Marc Morjé Howard • 2017
Ten times the prisoners of Europe, and not because of crime: four forces behind American punishment.
4.39
41
Unusually Cruel Summary
Unusually Cruel 88%
Ten times the prisoners of Europe, and not because of crime: four forces behind American punishment.
by Marc Morjé Howard 2017
4.39
41 ratings
We Do This 'til We Free Us
by Mariame Kaba • 2021
The carceral system works as designed. It is not broken. Abolition is the alternative.
4.63
6k+
We Do This 'til We Free Us Summary
We Do This 'til We Free Us 88%
The carceral system works as designed. It is not broken. Abolition is the alternative.
by Mariame Kaba 2021
4.63
6k+ ratings
The New Jim Crow
by Michelle Alexander • 2010
No racist laws required: a felony conviction now strips the rights Jim Crow took by name.
4.52
118k+
The New Jim Crow Summary
The New Jim Crow 88%
No racist laws required: a felony conviction now strips the rights Jim Crow took by name.
by Michelle Alexander 2010
4.52
118k+ ratings
Revolutionary Suicide
by Huey P. Newton • 1973
Some deaths surrender dignity. He risked one that refused to let the state take his.
4.49
7k+
Revolutionary Suicide Summary
Revolutionary Suicide 88%
Some deaths surrender dignity. He risked one that refused to let the state take his.
by Huey P. Newton 1973
4.49
7k+ ratings
Profit and Punishment
by Tony Messenger • 2021
When courts depend on fines to stay open, the poor become the revenue.
4.26
658
Profit and Punishment Summary
Profit and Punishment 88%
When courts depend on fines to stay open, the poor become the revenue.
by Tony Messenger 2021
4.26
658 ratings
Entry Lessons
by Jorja Leap • 2022
For women, prison punishes trauma survival. The women who lived it are building something better.
4.33
49
Entry Lessons Summary
Entry Lessons 88%
For women, prison punishes trauma survival. The women who lived it are building something better.
by Jorja Leap 2022
4.33
49 ratings
Education of a Felon
by Edward Bunker • 1999
A career criminal's brutal education behind bars, and how literature gave him a way out.
4.14
2k+
Education of a Felon Summary
Education of a Felon 88%
A career criminal's brutal education behind bars, and how literature gave him a way out.
by Edward Bunker 1999
4.14
2k+ ratings
Prisoner
by Jason Rezaian • 2019
544 days inside Iran's most feared prison. The crime: journalism. The lifeline: his wife.
3.88
2k+
Prisoner Summary
Prisoner 88%
544 days inside Iran's most feared prison. The crime: journalism. The lifeline: his wife.
by Jason Rezaian 2019
3.88
2k+ ratings
Insane
by Alisa Roth • 2018
Jails hold more people with mental illness than hospitals. Incarceration makes them sicker.
4.07
1k+
Insane Summary
Insane 87%
Jails hold more people with mental illness than hospitals. Incarceration makes them sicker.
by Alisa Roth 2018
4.07
1k+ ratings
Manifesting Justice
by Valena E. Beety • 2022
Wrongful convictions target women and queer people differently. A legal method to fight back.
4.33
126
Manifesting Justice Summary
Manifesting Justice 87%
Wrongful convictions target women and queer people differently. A legal method to fight back.
by Valena E. Beety 2022
4.33
126 ratings
American Prison
by Shane Bauer • 2018
Undercover as a guard, a reporter finds that profiting from captivity built the American prison.
4.23
13k+
American Prison Summary
American Prison 87%
Undercover as a guard, a reporter finds that profiting from captivity built the American prison.
by Shane Bauer 2018
4.23
13k+ ratings
Wobblies and Zapatistas
by Staughton Lynd • 2008
What the Zapatistas and the Wobblies got right that both Marxists and anarchists keep missing.
3.89
473
Wobblies and Zapatistas Summary
Wobblies and Zapatistas 87%
What the Zapatistas and the Wobblies got right that both Marxists and anarchists keep missing.
by Staughton Lynd 2008
3.89
473 ratings
Smart on Crime
by Kamala Harris • 2009
Tough on crime filled prisons without making us safe; a prosecutor's case for being smart instead.
3.75
346
Smart on Crime Summary
Smart on Crime 87%
Tough on crime filled prisons without making us safe; a prosecutor's case for being smart instead.
by Kamala Harris 2009
3.75
346 ratings
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation
by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor • 2016
Police violence won't end with reform. The problem is the economic system behind the badge.
4.47
2k+
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation Summary
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation 87%
Police violence won't end with reform. The problem is the economic system behind the badge.
by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor 2016
4.47
2k+ ratings
The Mars Room
by Rachel Kushner • 2018
She killed her stalker. Now a women's prison will take everything else.
3.43
49k+
The Mars Room Summary
The Mars Room 87%
She killed her stalker. Now a women's prison will take everything else.
by Rachel Kushner 2018
3.43
49k+ ratings
A World Without Police
by Geo Maher • 2021
Police reform fails by design. The alternative is not fewer cops but stronger communities.
3.97
329
A World Without Police Summary
A World Without Police 87%
Police reform fails by design. The alternative is not fewer cops but stronger communities.
by Geo Maher 2021
3.97
329 ratings
Just Mercy
by Bryan Stevenson • 2014
Alabama framed a black man for murder: one Harvard lawyer came south to fight it.
4.62
265k+
Just Mercy Summary
Just Mercy 87%
Alabama framed a black man for murder: one Harvard lawyer came south to fight it.
by Bryan Stevenson 2014
4.62
265k+ ratings
Punching the Air
by Ibi Zoboi • 2020
Convicted after a fight, a Black teen artist paints the truth the courtroom would not hear.
4.39
24k+
Punching the Air Summary
Punching the Air 87%
Convicted after a fight, a Black teen artist paints the truth the courtroom would not hear.
by Ibi Zoboi 2020
4.39
24k+ ratings
Long Walk to Freedom - Volume 2
by Nelson Mandela • 2003
Twenty-seven years in prison. Then he became president of the country that put him there.
4.42
608
Long Walk to Freedom - Volume 2 Summary
Long Walk to Freedom - Volume 2 87%
Twenty-seven years in prison. Then he became president of the country that put him there.
by Nelson Mandela 2003
4.42
608 ratings
Copaganda
by Alec Karakatsanis • 2025
The hidden PR system that converts police spin into headlines and crime panic into tougher laws.
4.49
582
Copaganda Summary
Copaganda 87%
The hidden PR system that converts police spin into headlines and crime panic into tougher laws.
by Alec Karakatsanis 2025
4.49
582 ratings
The Sing Sing Files
by Dan Slepian • 2024
The system keeps innocent people in. A journalist's twenty years inside Sing Sing reveal how.
4.46
3k+
The Sing Sing Files Summary
The Sing Sing Files 87%
The system keeps innocent people in. A journalist's twenty years inside Sing Sing reveal how.
by Dan Slepian 2024
4.46
3k+ ratings
Last Chance in Texas
by John Hubner • 2005
At a Texas juvenile prison, violent offenders reenact their crimes. Only one in ten reoffends.
4.29
828
Last Chance in Texas Summary
Last Chance in Texas 87%
At a Texas juvenile prison, violent offenders reenact their crimes. Only one in ten reoffends.
by John Hubner 2005
4.29
828 ratings
The End of Policing
by Alex S. Vitale • 2017
What if the police exist not to protect you but to manage inequality?
4.18
12k+
The End of Policing Summary
The End of Policing 87%
What if the police exist not to protect you but to manage inequality?
by Alex S. Vitale 2017
4.18
12k+ ratings
Undoing Border Imperialism
by Harsha Walia • 2013
Borders create the displacement they pretend to prevent, then turn survivors into cheap labor.
4.51
525
Undoing Border Imperialism Summary
Undoing Border Imperialism 87%
Borders create the displacement they pretend to prevent, then turn survivors into cheap labor.
by Harsha Walia 2013
4.51
525 ratings
Worse Than Slavery
by David M. Oshinsky • 1996
Slavery ended. Mississippi made convicts cheaper than slaves and built an empire on their labor.
4.31
1k+
Worse Than Slavery Summary
Worse Than Slavery 87%
Slavery ended. Mississippi made convicts cheaper than slaves and built an empire on their labor.
by David M. Oshinsky 1996
4.31
1k+ ratings
Manifest Injustice
by Barry Siegel • 2013
The clemency board voted unanimously to free him. Then the governor, facing reelection, said no.
4.10
178
Manifest Injustice Summary
Manifest Injustice 87%
The clemency board voted unanimously to free him. Then the governor, facing reelection, said no.
by Barry Siegel 2013
4.10
178 ratings
This Is an Uprising
by Mark Engler • 2016
Nonviolence is not a virtue. It is a technology of conflict, and it brings down regimes.
4.20
1k+
This Is an Uprising Summary
This Is an Uprising 87%
Nonviolence is not a virtue. It is a technology of conflict, and it brings down regimes.
by Mark Engler 2016
4.20
1k+ ratings
The Sun Does Shine
by Anthony Ray Hinton • 2018
Arrested on a misidentification, sentenced to die, then he told the prosecutor he loved him.
4.65
83k+
The Sun Does Shine Summary
The Sun Does Shine 87%
Arrested on a misidentification, sentenced to die, then he told the prosecutor he loved him.
by Anthony Ray Hinton 2018
4.65
83k+ ratings
When Crack Was King
by Donovan X. Ramsey • 2023
The crack epidemic was built on two myths, a 100-to-1 law, and government complicity.
4.34
7k+
When Crack Was King Summary
When Crack Was King 87%
The crack epidemic was built on two myths, a 100-to-1 law, and government complicity.
by Donovan X. Ramsey 2023
4.34
7k+ ratings
Patriot
by Alexei Navalny • 2024
Poisoned by the state, arrested on return, dead at 47. His prison cell testament.
4.51
17k+
Patriot Summary
Patriot 87%
Poisoned by the state, arrested on return, dead at 47. His prison cell testament.
by Alexei Navalny 2024
4.51
17k+ ratings
Grim Begins
by Wiktor Miesok • 2025
Cast out by his Stasi father, a border guard discovers that honor survives only among thieves.
4.59
313
Grim Begins Summary
Grim Begins 87%
Cast out by his Stasi father, a border guard discovers that honor survives only among thieves.
by Wiktor Miesok 2025
4.59
313 ratings
The Gulag Archipelago
by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn • 1973
A hidden continent of prison camps spanned the Soviet Union, reconstructed here by a survivor.
4.35
14k+
The Gulag Archipelago Summary
The Gulag Archipelago 87%
A hidden continent of prison camps spanned the Soviet Union, reconstructed here by a survivor.
by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 1973
4.35
14k+ ratings
Lifehouse
by Adam Greenfield • 2024
Votes and green tech won't stop climate collapse. The real plan: neighbors caring for each other.
3.84
86
Lifehouse Summary
Lifehouse 87%
Votes and green tech won't stop climate collapse. The real plan: neighbors caring for each other.
by Adam Greenfield 2024
3.84
86 ratings
Fragments
by Nyla K. • 2023
A shy hacker and a seductive arsonist bond inside a brutal prison where trust is lethal.
4.28
4k+
Fragments Summary
Fragments 87%
A shy hacker and a seductive arsonist bond inside a brutal prison where trust is lethal.
by Nyla K. 2023
4.28
4k+ ratings
Punishing the Poor
by Loïc Wacquant • 2004
Welfare cuts and mass incarceration are two sides of the same neoliberal project, not opposites.
4.21
277
Punishing the Poor Summary
Punishing the Poor 87%
Welfare cuts and mass incarceration are two sides of the same neoliberal project, not opposites.
by Loïc Wacquant 2004
4.21
277 ratings
The Shawshank Redemption
by Stephen King • 1994
A wrongly convicted banker enters Shawshank, where the warden plans to keep him forever.
4.48
6k+
The Shawshank Redemption Summary
The Shawshank Redemption 87%
A wrongly convicted banker enters Shawshank, where the warden plans to keep him forever.
by Stephen King 1994
4.48
6k+ ratings
Criminal (In)Justice
by Rafael A. Mangual • 2022
Two percent of counties produce half the murders. Decarceration makes those places deadlier.
4.13
222
Criminal (In)Justice Summary
Criminal (In)Justice 86%
Two percent of counties produce half the murders. Decarceration makes those places deadlier.
by Rafael A. Mangual 2022
4.13
222 ratings
We Will Not Cancel Us
by Adrienne Maree Brown • 2020
Cancel culture mimics the prisons we oppose. Transformative justice offers a different path.
4.28
3k+
We Will Not Cancel Us Summary
We Will Not Cancel Us 86%
Cancel culture mimics the prisons we oppose. Transformative justice offers a different path.
by Adrienne Maree Brown 2020
4.28
3k+ ratings
Writing My Wrongs
by Shaka Senghor • 2013
He shot a man and went to prison. In solitary, he found a pen, and everything changed.
4.25
5k+
Writing My Wrongs Summary
Writing My Wrongs 86%
He shot a man and went to prison. In solitary, he found a pen, and everything changed.
by Shaka Senghor 2013
4.25
5k+ ratings
Blueprint for Revolution
by Srdja Popovic • 2015
Rice pudding, Lego men, and the nonviolent playbook that wins twice as often as violence.
4.30
2k+
Blueprint for Revolution Summary
Blueprint for Revolution 86%
Rice pudding, Lego men, and the nonviolent playbook that wins twice as often as violence.
by Srdja Popovic 2015
4.30
2k+ ratings
Crime & Punishment
by Russell Marks • 2015
Prison punishes disadvantage, not crime. The alternatives that reduce reoffending work elsewhere.
4.08
49
Crime & Punishment Summary
Crime & Punishment 86%
Prison punishes disadvantage, not crime. The alternatives that reduce reoffending work elsewhere.
by Russell Marks 2015
4.08
49 ratings
The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison
by Jeffrey H. Reiman • 1979
The justice system ignores corporate harm and targets the poor. That failure is its real job.
3.94
589
The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison Summary
The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison 86%
The justice system ignores corporate harm and targets the poor. That failure is its real job.
by Jeffrey H. Reiman 1979
3.94
589 ratings
Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal
by Mohammed El-Kurd • 2025
The sympathy economy demands Palestinians be broken, blameless, and silent about who broke them.
4.77
6k+
Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal Summary
Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal 86%
The sympathy economy demands Palestinians be broken, blameless, and silent about who broke them.
by Mohammed El-Kurd 2025
4.77
6k+ ratings
Illiberal America
by Steven Hahn • 2024
American liberty as a tradition is a Cold War invention; illiberalism is the nation's true center.
4.16
318
Illiberal America Summary
Illiberal America 86%
American liberty as a tradition is a Cold War invention; illiberalism is the nation's true center.
by Steven Hahn 2024
4.16
318 ratings
The Secret Barrister
by The Secret Barrister • 2018
A barrister reveals how criminal courts became an assembly line, and who pays the price.
3.88
23k+
The Secret Barrister Summary
The Secret Barrister 86%
A barrister reveals how criminal courts became an assembly line, and who pays the price.
by The Secret Barrister 2018
3.88
23k+ ratings
The Tyranny of Good Intentions
by Paul Craig Roberts • 2000
Good intentions retooled criminal justice into a weapon, and the Constitution is losing.
4.06
127
The Tyranny of Good Intentions Summary
The Tyranny of Good Intentions 86%
Good intentions retooled criminal justice into a weapon, and the Constitution is losing.
by Paul Craig Roberts 2000
4.06
127 ratings
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