George Carrano

In A Whole New Way: Undoing Mass Incarceration by a Path Untraveled, edited by George Carrano and Jonathan Fisher, is a wonderful testament to the power of rehabilitation over retribution.

It is hard to separate the individuals, their photographs and stories, from the larger project. That, I think, is part of the point. These aren't numbers, and they certainly shouldn't be defined by any one singular label, these are human beings working to get by in this world. That is not always an easy show more thing to do. Making a mistake while doing so needs to be considered as a potential turning point for the person, not a lifelong penalty, no matter what name that penalty falls under.

I think what shines through here is how much we all have in common. We live in different places, have different opportunities, warranted or not, but we all want respect, we all need community, and we want to feel like we are a part of something positive. My positive is helping tutor at a community center, someone else's may be a different way of helping people find their path through this life.

I find it a disgrace that not only is our so-called justice system primarily an extension of a racist society but no longer, for the most part, even tries to be rehabilitative. It takes individuals and nonprofit organizations doing the work that our "justice" system should do to even begin to help. Unfortunately, the carceral system chews up people faster than help can be given.

As a book, this is a great read as well as a visual treat. Even if you don't feel as strongly as I do about our carceral system, there is still plenty to enjoy about this book.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. show less