Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Science of Second Chances:
Better living through data.
Quick synopsis:
A look at some possible solutions to recidivism in the U.S. criminal justice system.
Fact for Non-History People:
In the U.S., approximately 70% of released prisoners are rearrested within 5 years.
Fact for History Nerds:
Within three years, nearly 50% are either rearrested or have a parole/probation violation leading to reincarceration.
My Take on The Science of Second Chances:
I love me some data! Luckily for me, there is plenty of that in Jennifer Doleac’s The Science of Second Chances. No emotions, no arguments, just cold, hard data. My favorite!
Doleac looks at various experiments which have been conducted around the world to improve the criminal justice system. The first question anyone may have is how partisan is it. It’s not at all. Doleac even points out repeatedly that she won’t ask questions which have value based responses. How long should someone be in jail for justice to be served? Totally immaterial. Instead, the author may explain an experiment where we look at how more usage of ankle monitoring devices affect recidivism.
What I found most interesting is that while Doleac focuses mostly on experiments with positive effects, there are a slew of examples where you would expect one thing and get another. This is not an anomaly either. As with most data driven science, Doleac explains that the vast majority of theses will fail. It’s a feature, not a bug.
This book is best for folks who want to see unambiguous (when the data supports it) and unbiased looks at various criminal justice reforms. There isn’t any anecdotes where the author pulls on your heartstrings. This is all about the science. I loved it.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by Henry Holt.)
Verdict:
Eye-opening. Buy it here!
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