The Meaning of Life

Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis of The Sentencing Project argue that there is no practical or moral justification for a sentence longer than twenty years. Harsher sentences have been shown to have little effect on crime rates, since people "age out" of crime--meaning that we're spending a fortune on geriatric care for older prisoners who pose little threat to public safety. Extreme punishment for serious crime also has an inflationary effect on sentences across the spectrum, helping to account for severe mandatory minimums and other harsh punishments. Also features profiles of a half dozen people affected by life sentences, written by former "lifer" and writer Kerry Myers.--

Year

2018

Language

English

Publisher

The New Press

Editions

3

Pages

224

ISBN

9781620974094

Data source: Wikidata