Cover Image: The Shadow System

The Shadow System

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Member Reviews

I thought this book had some really interesting thoughts and observations and I felt I learned quite a lot reading it.

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I thought this book was excellent. This is a great read for anyone looking to learn more about the experiences of families whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system and about the criminal justice system as a whole. The topics in the book are similar to those discussed in other similar books like "Just Mercy" and "The New Jim Crow," but what makes this book different is its focus on family experiences. Sadly, it shows how much work we still have to do to reform criminal justice in America and to provide services to reentering citizens and their families. I highly recommend this book.

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Loved this look into the prison system and the inmates who struggle to maintain normality in the face of chaos. It's heart breaking and hopeful at the same time. It's definitely a read now. Happy reading!

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I enjoyed this book and the author's accounts of families of prisoners in the United States.

It sheds a much needed light on the brokenness of the American prison system and the impacts it has on the children, parents, siblings and significant others of prisoners. The author uses statistics to back up her arguments and blends her research with personal accounts flawlessly. I highly recommend this book whether you are well versed in the fragmented ways of our prison system already or just beginning to inform yourself.

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I love the premise of this book and Harvey's purposeful accounts of the narratives of families in the United States.

It lived up to my expectations in its dive into the flawed nature of the American prison system and the impact that it has had and still continues to have on children, parents, spouses, and the extended family. All of the cases added another facet to the complexity of the issue, and the earnest nature by which the stories were presented enhanced my reading experience.

This was like a documentary or Netflix series in book form, which was wonderful, but I did feel at times that the stitching of the stories together was lacking and a bit patchy. Additionally, sometimes I did wish that there was more commentary interspersed within the stories, though I understand that being able to show the facts as they are preserves some integrity of the cases covered.

My thanks to Netgalley and Perseus Book / PublicAffairs for this insightful ARC!

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