Author: Zach Norris
Publisher: Beacon Press
Release Date: February 4, 2020
This book lives up to the hype it promotes. A worthy read to understand the failure of the current system.
Zach Norris weaves historical personal accounts blended with knowledge of the inner workings of the current public safety and justice system to show documented failures. However, he also provides a blueprint for a new system based on accountability rather than of fear. The current system that we use continues to divide people into an us versus them mentality, keeping those in power based on fear of the unknown or untrue.
This book really challenged me to look at things through a different lens and in a different context. Norris provides a plethora of information of how we got to where we are as a society and why several politicians can harness voters’ fears to get elected. One of the buzz phrases that we hear all the time is Building Community, but how are we really doing that? We need to refocus our system on being accountable rather than just removing people from society for a period of time, which doesn’t solve the problem in the long run. Outside of crime, several examples are provided of equality between everyone and ideas of how to actually find real solutions and not just band-aid gimmicks. This book has the potential to open readers eyes and start moving in a direction of healing.
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