Too Easy to Keep: Life-Sentenced Prisoners and the Future of Mass Incarceration

Too Easy to Keep: Life-Sentenced Prisoners and the Future of Mass Incarceration
ISBN-10
0520971876
ISBN-13
9780520971875
Category
Social Science
Pages
184
Language
English
Published
2019-01-08
Publisher
Univ of California Press
Author
Steve Herbert

Description

“Some guys don’t break any rules. They do their jobs, they go to school, they don’t commit any infractions, they keep their cells clean and tidy, and they follow the rules. And usually those are our LWOPs [life without parole]. They’re usually our easiest keepers.” Too Easy to Keep directs much-needed attention toward a neglected group of American prisoners—the large and growing population of inmates serving life sentences. Drawing on extensive interviews with lifers and with prison staff, Too Easy to Keep charts the challenges that a life sentence poses—both to the prisoners and to the staffers charged with caring for them. Surprisingly, many lifers show remarkable resilience and craft lives of notable purpose. Yet their eventual decline will pose challenges to the institutions that house them. Rich in data, Too Easy to Keep illustrates the harsh consequences of excessive sentences and demonstrates a keen need to reconsider punishment policy.

Other editions

Similar books