New Jersey Prisons End Ban On 'The New Jim Crow' After ACLU Protests

I had an English teacher who was very influential to me in junior high. All the books read for his class were, or were at one time, on banned reading lists. And they were all great texts that taught great lessons. Looks like this book banned in NJ prison is no different.

People should not be restricted in what they choose to read, regardless of the circumstance. I personally believe people incarcerated that happen to read this book will become even more infuriated with their plight. Will that help them or hurt them? I don't know the answer but they have the right to read this book and make their own conclusions.

If you believe the War on Drugs was created in response to racial politics as Michelle Alexander suggests, the "Southern Strategy', then a lot of what she contends in her book correlates. We have come a long way from the days of Jim Crow. But, there is no question bias and racism still exist in our criminal justice system. I believe her book is a good starting point because it focuses on a demographic that has been hardest hit by incarceration. However, she has a tendency to victimize criminals, demonize the police and prosecutors, while offering no reasonable alternative to her findings. I look forward to her follow-up outlining the path ahead.

If people want to read it, let them.