Reader with a Cause discussion

While OITNB isn't fiction -- so there aren't technically any "spoilers" -- there is still plenty to react to! What did you think of the book, overall?

I really enjoyed this book. Non-fiction books always keep my mind growing. The facts about incarceration rates, release, cost, etc. were eye opening. I knew incarceration in America was out of control but seeing the actual numbers and doing some research after I read just blew me away. America currently houses 25% of the world’s prison population. This is astounding considering America has only 5% of the world’s population. However, I am glad to see that some states are taking some action to reduce sentencing for non-violent offenders and seeking other options.

The cost piece really blew my mind - $30,000 a year to house an inmate (and this varies state to state with the highest being NY at $60k). However, this doesn't even take into account child welfare, social services, the cost to families traveling, the debt incurred prior to incarceration, while incarcerated, post incarceration, and more. We do not provide enough assistance to prisoners as they get ready to phase out of the system instead setting them up for failure by not providing real tools to help with finding a job, housing, child care, education, etc. We see a cycle where those released from prison are ending up incarcerated again (mentioned by Kerman in the book), thus costing the tax payers another $30,000 a year per person.

Hopefully as we continued to explore other options to prison and reforming the criminal justice system we will see fewer former-prisoners returning to jail.

I really liked the book. It was very enlightening. I did not realize how much time the inmates had to roam around freely. It was also interesting how little they prepare people for the outside world. There is so much time and opportunity to teach them skills to equip them for the outside but instead they set them up for failure.