Banned Books: A Tool For Prison Control
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Jersey got its hands on a list of banned books this week. According to their report, the New Jersey Department of Corrections (DOC) had banned "The New Jim Crow" from some state prisons. Michelle Alexander's pivotal work addresses mass incarceration, and points the finger at an American criminal justice system that disproportionately preys on black men.
The news sparked outrage, and by the end of the day, the DOC had lifted the ban. In doing so, they pointed out that Alexander's book was currently being used as a tool in educational courses at certain New Jersey prisons. The obvious discrepancy — why these prisons would simultaneously ban and use this book — provided fuel for a debate regarding censorship at prisons across the country.
Georgia Lerner is executive director of the Women’s Prison Association, a nonprofit that works with women at all stages of criminal justice involvement. She joins The Takeaway to explore how banned books are just one way in which prisons impose control without making a serious effort at rehabilitation.
This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich
