brother and incarceration writ large, as well as an analysis of the factors that entrap young black men in the South in the criminal justice system.
Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America by James Forman Jr.
Winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction, James Forman Jr.’s book explores why many African American politicians and officials supported the “tough on crime” policy that led to the mass incarceration of black men.
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Jesmyn Ward’s novel tells a beautiful story about drug addiction, racism, and incarceration in Mississippi. It’s a road novel filled with ghosts, alluding to both Faulkner and Morrison, while also making the impact of incarceration on her hometown quite clear.
Wall Tappings: Women Prison Writings, 200 A.D to the Present edited by Judith Schleffler
Many of the most well-known prison writers are men — think Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and even Oscar Wilde. Wall Tappings: Women Prison Writings, 200 A.D to the Present is a one-volume introduction to writing by incarcerated women, some famous activists and others virtually unknown.
Jasmine Browley holds an MA in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, and has contributed to Ebony, Jet and MADE Magazine among others. So, clearly, she knows some stuff. Follow her digital journey @JasmineBrowley.