Preview
  • Locking Up Our Own

  • Crime and Punishment in Black America
  • By: James Forman Jr.
  • Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
  • Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (568 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Locking Up Our Own

By: James Forman Jr.
Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.19

Buy for $17.19

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize Winner, Nonfiction, 2018

An original and consequential argument about race, crime, and the law.

Today, Americans are debating our criminal justice system with new urgency. Mass incarceration and aggressive police tactics - and their impact on people of color - are feeding outrage and a consensus that something must be done. But what if we only know half the story? In Locking Up Our Own, the Yale legal scholar and former public defender James Forman Jr. weighs the tragic role that some African Americans themselves played in escalating the war on crime. As Forman shows, the first substantial cohort of black mayors, judges, and police chiefs took office around the country amid a surge in crime. Many came to believe that tough measures - such as stringent drug and gun laws and "pretext traffic stops" in poor African American neighborhoods - were needed to secure a stable future for black communities. Some politicians and activists saw criminals as a "cancer" that had to be cut away from the rest of black America. Others supported harsh measures more reluctantly, believing they had no other choice in the face of a public safety emergency. Drawing on his experience as a public defender and focusing on Washington, DC, Forman writes with compassion for individuals trapped in terrible dilemmas - from the young men and women he defended to officials struggling to cope with an impossible situation. The result is an original view of our justice system as well as a moving portrait of the human beings caught in its coils.

©2017 James Forman, Jr. (P)2017 Recorded Books
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Locking Up Our Own

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    440
  • 4 Stars
    103
  • 3 Stars
    19
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    406
  • 4 Stars
    75
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    388
  • 4 Stars
    81
  • 3 Stars
    20
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very eye opening!

I learned much listening and will listen again I hope we will fix the system.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Listen to this!!!!

Mr Foreman really delves into the history of how the justice department turned so punitive and harsh. The story is more complicated than is normally shown on the " opinion news " and both black and white played a part in getting to to what it is now. We can do better and we will.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent

If you have read The New Jim Crow you have to read this book. It paints a more complicated story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thought Provoking and Worth Your Time

Would you listen to Locking Up Our Own again? Why?

I loved Locking Up Our Own for many reasons, but one of the key takeaways was about the unintended consequences of many small steps that can work together to cause a massive force for change. I never realized how many small nuances contributed to the current problem with law enforcement and prisons and the well-intentioned goals of the people who lead us on this path.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The process of discovery that you go through when reading this book was largely experienced by the author so you share a feeling with the author where every new idea causes a reaction of: "But I thought...." only to find out there was more to the story. The well researched details convinced me that my views had been overly simplistic.

Which scene was your favorite?

I think the story of the "violent offender" was very touching because everyone hates violent offenders. It is so tempting to say that certain categories of people should endure this or that consequence of their behavior but it is best to look very closely at the details when designing systems. Fundamentally, zero tolerance systems can't allow flexibility and when definitions are broad, that is going to introduce potentially serious injustices into people's everyday lives. They may cause as much injustice as the problems they were designed to prevent - just to a different population.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wouldn't say I wanted to listen in one sitting, but only because there were things I wanted to think over, digest, and incorporate into my "world view". This book gives you a lot to chew on - about life in general as much as about the main topic of race problems in law enforcement and justice systems in the US.

Any additional comments?

This book is an excellent counterpoint and companion to "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping Story of How Mass Incarceration Happened

Incredibly insightful read about a very complicated issue that spanned generations and saw greatly differing views on the legacy of Dr. Kings Dream and Civil Rights.

It's easy to blame one party or one group for the injustices we see; however, Mr. Formans book illustrates just how complicated the policy issues that led to Mass Incarceration actually are.

A must read for every criminal justice reform advocate to truly understand the generational divide that gave us the great moral issue of our time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Historical facts about criminal justice system.

I love the book!!Great historical facts.i definitely recommend it to everyone I know.The narrator was excellent.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great book and read

This is a very interesting topic. This is a must read for anyone wanting to learn more about the unfair policing practices during the crack era.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great read

I listened to this on a road trip and really enjoyed it. Mr. Forman's writing is easy to follow and hearing his point of view -- a black public defender in Washington, D.C. -- was powerful. I recommend it highly.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A good start

The reading was done with great inflection and charm. The writer has done an excellent job of weaving history with personal anecdotes. Although I have some disagreements with the overemphasized look at race, I understand why he sees it that way. But, the writer brings up excellent points in trying to decipher what is wrong with our criminal justice system. And I applaud his effort in bringing plausible solutions.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Important book that we all need to read

This was an enlightening book and I appreciate having the opportunity to read it. We must all do better and care for one another.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!