Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change
Written by Ben Austen
Narrated by Brett Barry
5/5
()
About this audiobook
FROM THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF HIGH-RISERS comes a groundbreaking and honest investigation into the crisis of the American criminal justice system–through the lens of parole. Perfect for fans of Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow and Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy
“Correction ranks among the very best books on life inside and outside of prison I have ever read." ―Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted
A Most Anticipated Book of 2023: Chicago Review of Books
The United States, alone, locks up a quarter of the world’s incarcerated people. And yet apart from clichés—paying a debt to society; you do the crime, you do the time—there is little sense collectively in America what constitutes retribution or atonement. We don’t actually know why we punish.
Ben Austen’s powerful exploration offers a behind-the-scenes look at the process of parole. Told through the portraits of two men imprisoned for murder, and the parole board that holds their freedom in the balance, Austen’s unflinching storytelling forces us to reckon with some of the most profound questions underlying the country’s values around crime and punishment. What must someone who commits a terrible act do to get a second chance? What does incarceration seek to accomplish?
An illuminating work of narrative nonfiction, Correction challenges us to consider for ourselves why and who we punish–and how we might find a way out of an era of mass imprisonment.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.
Ben Austen
Ben Austen has written for many publications, including Harper’s Magazine, the New York Times Magazine, GQ, and New York magazine. He lives in Chicago.
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Reviews for Correction
4 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Such a good and well documented book! It has a sensitive subject which I was not perviously giving so much thoughts to, and the few ones I was giving were rather unfiltered and filled with prejudice. This book was worth my time every single minute, I am even considering listening again after a while. Thank you!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An important book! This book broaches several important issues surrounding mass incarceration and it's damage. It is illustrated through the stories of two men in Illinois prison. I highly recommend it for a solid understanding of parole and the issues with mass incarceration in the US.