“In this timely, powerfully persuasive, and relevant book, Law looks at some of the most damaging myths and misconceptions about mass incarceration. This is a must-read for those interested in the truth about mass incarceration and solutions to address it.”
—Talitha LeFlouria, author of Chained in Silence: Black Women and Convict Labor in the New South
“Think you haven’t fallen prey to the myths around mass incarceration? Think again. Victoria Law’s hard-hitting, eloquently argued book shows—for those of us who’ve spent years learning about mass incarceration and those coming to the subject for the first time—how many assumptions about crime and safety, about ‘reform’ and punishment, are misguided. This is the book we need, as movements sweep across the US challenging injustices in policing and incarceration, to show us our history, analyze our current policies, and chart the way forward.”
—Jeanne Theoharis, author of A More Beautiful and Terrible History
“In this era of expanding awareness of the structural character of racism, Vikki Law has offered us a very important tool. Her careful and accessible analysis, her feminist approach, and her methodical demystification of widely held views about incarceration enable precisely the kind of understanding we need at this moment.”
—Angela Y. Davis, Distinguished Professor Emerita, University of California, Santa Cruz
“Victoria Law’s impressive new book, ‘Prisons Make Us Safer’: And 20 Other Myths About Mass Incarceration, is an important read both for new students of America’s failed criminal punishment policies and for those who have been advocating for change for many years. Law uses facts, figures, and moving and enraging stories from incarcerated people to bring to light many important, often misunderstood, and sometimes overlooked facets of the United States’ singularly massive criminal legal system. Law’s many years of personal experience, journalism, and advocacy on behalf of criminalized people results in her focused critique and practical solutions that demand attention and action.”
—Piper Kerman, author of Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison
