23/7

Pelican Bay Prison and the Rise of Long-Term Solitary Confinement

By: Keramet Reiter

Narrated by: C.S.E Cooney

Originally meant to be brief and exceptional, solitary confinement in US prisons has become long-term and common. Prisoners spend 23 hours a day in featureless cells, with no visitors or human contact for years on end, and they are held entirely at administrators' discretion. Keramet Reiter tells the history of one "supermax", California's Pelican Bay State Prison, whose extreme conditions recently sparked a statewide hunger strike by 30,000 prisoners. This book describes how Pelican Bay was created without legislative oversight, in fearful response to 1970s radicals; how easily prisoners slip into solitary; and the mental havoc and social costs of years and decades in isolation. The product of 15 years of research in and about prisons, this book provides essential background to a subject now drawing national attention.

©2016 Keramet Reiter (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

" 23/7 tells a compelling story of the banality of evil in correctional planning and penal confinement." (Franklin E. Zimring, University of California, Berkeley)

informative

Thorough and incredibly researched book on solitary confinement in this country. An incomplete and inhumane solution to a very complex problem in our prison system.

Thorough research

Great book, meticulously researched and remarkably humane. An enlightening (and disturbing) view into how prison policy is developed in California.

Medicine

The research and care that went into this book is a miracle for those interested in criminal justice reform or for those simply interested in discovering the dark corners of solitary. This book is as much a documentary as it is a living prayer for tomorrow...

Poor killers what about the victims !!

This so call author try to make killers into victims instead of the real victims. She does not believe that the killers should be punished .According to her killers should only be in jail have the right to play Baseball what movie and have steak and glass of wine for diner.

bleeding hearts for criminals

This book is nothing but the indoctrination of the idea that somehow criminal offenders are unfairly treated. I wish somebody would write a book about how serious punishment prevents crime. The premise of this title is that if we treat criminals just like they are citizens that have not committed any crimes, somehow there will be no crime. it's ridiculous. There's a reason that there's very few robberies in a country where you get your hand cut off for robbing something.