Title
Usual Cruelty: The Complicity of Lawyers in the Criminal Injustice System,New
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From an awardwinning civil rights lawyer, a profound challenge to our society's normalization of the caging of human beings, and the role of the legal profession in perpetuating itUsual Cruelty cuts to the core of what is critical to understand about our legal system, and about ourselves.Anthony D. Romero, executive director, ACLUAlec Karakatsanis is interested in what we choose to punish. For example, it is a crime in most of America for poor people to wager in the streets over dice; dicewagerers can be seized, searched, have their assets forfeited, and be locked in cages. It's perfectly fine, by contrast, for people to wager over international currencies, mortgages, or the global supply of wheat; wheatwagerers become names on the wings of hospitals and museums.He is also troubled by how the legal system works when it is trying to punish people. The bail system, for example, is meant to ensure that people return for court dates. But it has morphed into a way to lock up poor people who have not been convicted of anything. He's so concerned about this that he has personally sued court systems across the country, resulting in literally tens of thousands of people being released from jail when their money bail was found to be unconstitutional.Karakatsanis doesn't think people who have gone to law school, passed the bar, and sworn to uphold the Constitution should be complicit in the mass caging of human beingsan everyday brutality inflicted disproportionately on the bodies and minds of poor people and people of color and for which the legal system has never offered sufficient justification. Usual Cruelty is a profoundly radical reconsideration of the American 'injustice system' by someone who is actively, wildly successfully, challenging it.
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- Q: What is the main theme of 'Usual Cruelty'? A: 'Usual Cruelty' explores the normalization of the criminal justice system's treatment of individuals, particularly focusing on the legal profession's role in perpetuating systemic injustices against marginalized groups.
- Q: Who is the author of 'Usual Cruelty'? A: The author of 'Usual Cruelty' is Alec Karakatsanis, an award-winning civil rights lawyer known for his advocacy against the injustices of the legal system.
- Q: What type of binding does this book have? A: 'Usual Cruelty' is available in hardcover binding, providing a durable option for readers.
- Q: How many pages are in 'Usual Cruelty'? A: The book contains 240 pages, making it a comprehensive read on the topic of criminal injustice.
- Q: When was 'Usual Cruelty' published? A: 'Usual Cruelty' was published on October 29, 2019.
- Q: What issues does Alec Karakatsanis address in the book? A: Karakatsanis addresses various issues, including the bail system's impact on poor individuals, the legal profession's complicity in mass incarceration, and the disproportionate effects of the justice system on people of color.
- Q: Is 'Usual Cruelty' suitable for readers unfamiliar with legal terminology? A: Yes, 'Usual Cruelty' is written to be accessible to a general audience, making complex legal issues understandable for readers without a legal background.
- Q: Does the book provide solutions to the issues it discusses? A: 'Usual Cruelty' presents a profound challenge to the status quo and encourages readers to rethink their understanding of justice, although it primarily focuses on raising awareness rather than providing specific solutions.
- Q: What is the target audience for 'Usual Cruelty'? A: 'Usual Cruelty' is aimed at readers interested in civil rights, criminal justice reform, and those who seek to understand the complexities of the legal system.
- Q: Can this book be used as a reference for academic studies? A: Yes, 'Usual Cruelty' can serve as a valuable reference for students and researchers interested in criminal justice, legal ethics, and social justice issues.