Charged

The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration

By: Emily Bazelon

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A renowned journalist and legal commentator exposes the unchecked power of the prosecutor as a driving force in America’s mass incarceration crisis—and charts a way out.

“An important, thoughtful, and thorough examination of criminal justice in America that speaks directly to how we reduce mass incarceration.”—Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy

“This harrowing, often enraging book is a hopeful one, as well, profiling innovative new approaches and the frontline advocates who champion them.”—Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted

FINALIST FOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE • SHORTLISTED FOR THE J. ANTHONY LUKAS BOOK PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • The New York Public Library • Library Journal • Publishers Weekly • Kirkus Reviews

The American criminal justice system is supposed to be a contest between two equal adversaries, the prosecution and the defense, with judges ensuring a fair fight. That image of the law does not match the reality in the courtroom, however. Much of the time, it is prosecutors more than judges who control the outcome of a case, from choosing the charge to setting bail to determining the plea bargain. They often decide who goes free and who goes to prison, even who lives and who dies. In Charged, Emily Bazelon reveals how this kind of unchecked power is the underreported cause of enormous injustice—and the missing piece in the mass incarceration puzzle.

Charged follows the story of two young people caught up in the criminal justice system: Kevin, a twenty-year-old in Brooklyn who picked up his friend’s gun as the cops burst in and was charged with a serious violent felony, and Noura, a teenage girl in Memphis indicted for the murder of her mother. Bazelon tracks both cases—from arrest and charging to trial and sentencing—and, with her trademark blend of deeply reported narrative, legal analysis, and investigative journalism, illustrates just how criminal prosecutions can go wrong and, more important, why they don’t have to.

Bazelon also details the second chances they prosecutors can extend, if they choose, to Kevin and Noura and so many others. She follows a wave of reform-minded D.A.s who have been elected in some of our biggest cities, as well as in rural areas in every region of the country, put in office to do nothing less than reinvent how their job is done. If they succeed, they can point the country toward a different and profoundly better future.

For any fan of wrongful conviction podcasts

This is a deep dive, long form journalism type of book about the recent movement for reform in district attorney's offices across the US. Bazelon effectively humanizes the content by following the cases and outcomes of two young people from very different backgrounds caught up in the system. The outcomes of both may surprise you. This was never boring and did not seem to be overly biased, and was definitely well researched. I'm interested now to read further on the subject of justice reform and to see how I can support it as an average voter and citizen that does not work within the legal system.

A Real Read

Highly recommended to have in your Library.

Should be read by Adult, Young Adult, & Teens!

This book should be taught in colleges, universities, high schools, & middle schools.

“Charged provides an insightful overview of the American criminal justice system from a legal perspective that points to the true power source and how that power can be abused & manipulated at the cost of a US citizens freedom!

So Incredibly Important!!!

If you're curious about the thinking and the policies that brought us mass incarceration and ways to think about alternatives, I urge you to read this book!

Must Read

This is an important book that details the unchecked power of prosecutors and its devastating effect on our criminal justice system and the safety of our communities.

Eyes Wide Opened

Opened my eyes to what I already suspected but was unsure about, concerning the state of our court, bail, and prison systems. I believe we have to strike a balance between law and order and rights for the accused. Also limits to the power of prosecutors.