I spent the day in a maximum security prison last week meeting with inmates, and was motivated to read this book to better understand the circumstances that produced such a dramatic rise in the prison population over the last 40 years.

Of all prisoners in the world, 1 in 4 are in prison in the United States. We have just 5% of the world's population, but 25% of the world's prisoners. This is almost entirely a result of the war on drugs, which was largely a political strategy designed to sway white voters in the 70s. Mass incarceration got worse under Reagan, and then got progressively worse under each successive administration. Including Clinton and Obama.

Perhaps the most jarring facts for me? The disparity between the criminal approach to drunk drivers vs. drug users. Though drunk driving was killing more people by 1990 than all deaths from all drugs combined, mandatory sentences for first time offenders for drunk driving were measured in days, while first time crack possession has a mandatory minimum of 5 years.

Once a criminal, so many benefits of citizenship are stripped. Recidivism rates are high, legitimate jobs are hard to find, housing options are limited... it's a vicious cycle.

This is a hard book to read, but a vital one to read. Can't recommend highly enough.