Here are some of our editors’ and reviewers’ top picks so far this year for policy and political nonfiction.
criminal justice
Posted inLaw and Justice
Criminal Justice Reform Isn’t Dead
Despite Trump’s punitive spectacles, reform efforts persist across states, and there’s hope for policies that draw on the best traditions from both the left and right.
Posted inLaw and Justice
The Mystery of the Joan Little Case
A Black woman claimed self-defense after killing her jailer. Her 1975 high-profile trial shook the American South, and a recent documentary highlights eternal questions about juries and public pressure.
Posted inBooks
Where Left and Right Both Go Wrong on Crime
The most promising ways to make America’s streets safer unsettle ideologues on both sides. Maybe that’s why we aren’t pursuing them.
Posted inPolitics
Trump’s Policy Failures Are Even Worse Than We Realize
News investigations into Trump-era national security and criminal justice decisions haven’t penetrated the national consciousness because of the president’s ability to distract. They should.
Posted inLaw and Justice, Main
The Criminal Justice of Amy Coney Barrett
The soon-to-be Supreme Court Justice has a more interesting record on prisons, prosecutors and a slew of justice issues than you might think.
Posted inApril/May/June 2020, Books
Inside the Chaotic, Underfunded World of Probation and Parole
The system is failing the people it supervises—and we all pay the cost.
Posted inPolitical Animal
Kamala Harris Understands Criminal Justice at a Very Deep Level
Being unburdened by the need to appear ‘tough,’ she is able to articulate how we can be smart on crime.
Posted inApril/May/June 2019, Books, Featured, Magazine
Preet Bharara’s Willful Blindness
We’ll never fix the criminal justice system until ‘liberal’ prosecutors recognize how badly it’s broken.
Posted inEconomy, Featured
How Cash-Strapped Local Governments Target the Poor
Struggling cities are increasingly relying on steep fines and penalties that take a toll on those who can least afford them.
