Thank you NetGalley and The New Press for this ARC!

4.5 ✨

I loved the way this book was organized. Each chapter features an overview of the topic, financial information, personal stories, and more in-depth explanations of the issues. Some topics I was more familiar with than others but I did find it to be well researched. This would be more useful as an introduction to the prison industry as a whole, so use caution if this a topic you have a lot of knowledge about. I also appreciated the author not inserting personal opinions into the book and letting the facts speak for themselves.

This book is confirming everything that marginalized people of color say every day relating to the US Prison system. There are no morals and no one cares because these are “convicted felons” except there are tons of innocent people and low criminal offenses getting major time and being taken advantage of so that privately owned prisons can make a buck. I actually heard of private corp GEO and it’s immigration jail in Adelanto from a fiction book I read called Left on Rancho. For this book to confirm everything that was “fictionally” happening is crazy to me. We know those who work in a jail are undertrained. Every corporation that is complicit should be ashamed. Thank you for bringing to light the facts.

This book has great information in it, but it feels more like an in-depth pamphlet than a book. The sections were very short and to the point, with little analysis. I agree with the author's thesis, but I don't know that it would be very persuasive to someone who didn't already come in to this book with this knowledge.
A good source for the basic information about the prison industry, but it's not in depth enough to stand up on its own.

The Prison Industry, authored by Bianca Tylek and Worth Rises, is a searing and meticulously researched indictment of the carceral system's insatiable appetite for profit. It's not just a book; it's a weapon, a meticulously crafted tool for understanding and dismantling the machinery of mass incarceration.

This exposé transcends the well-trodden ground of private prisons, delving into the pervasive and often hidden ways in which corporations, hand-in-glove with government entities, extract wealth from incarcerated individuals and their families. The authors meticulously map the intricate web of profiteering, illuminating the dark corners of labor, telecom, healthcare, and community corrections. Each chapter serves as a damning case study, revealing the origins of privatization and the staggering sums of money involved.

Worth Rises' reputation for groundbreaking research precedes them, and The Prison Industry lives up to that standard. The book's strength lies in its ability to connect the dots, showing how seemingly disparate sectors contribute to the overall system of oppression. The authors expose the methods used to siphon resources from public coffers and communities, naming the corporations most active in this exploitation and detailing their insidious partnerships with government.

The book doesn't simply present a litany of abuses; it offers a compelling argument for abolition. Tylek and Worth Rises don't shy away from the radical implications of their findings. They understand that true justice cannot be achieved through reform alone. The carceral system, they argue, is fundamentally rotten, built on a foundation of exploitation and dehumanization.

The Prison Industry is a vital resource for anyone seeking to understand the true cost of mass incarceration. It's a call to action, a challenge to dismantle the system that profits from human suffering. The book doesn't just offer critiques, it offers a vision of a world built on care, not cages. It's a powerful and essential read, a necessary step towards building a more just and equitable future. This book is not just informative, it is a catalyst.