Unfair

August 31, 2015
Audiobook veteran Barrett brings his raspy voice and knack for accentuating emotional nuance in his delivery to the new title from legal scholar Benforado. The book uncovers a wide range of scientific findings that reveal rampant bias in the United States justice system, particularly emphasizing how processes and systems tied to a punitive punishment approach make the streets less—rather than more—safe from crime. Benforado minces no words in his harsh view of the predominant American perspectives—compared with other Western industrialized democracies—regarding such matters as the police, courts, and prisons; Barrett’s animated narration stays consistent with the tenor of this hard-hitting message. Barrett provides an especially effective whimsical and sardonic tone in rendering Benforado’s historical overview of the retribution model of law and order, highlighting such baffling primitive practices as murder trials for animals, something that is compared to the nation’s recent track record of jailing the mentally ill and addicted populations instead of providing access to medical treatment.
A Crown hardcover.

April 15, 2015

This book suggests that criminal justice in the United States is not a system at all but a set of dysfunctional units that deliver biased decisions that make society less safe. Benforado (law, Drexel Univ.) deftly analyzes actual cases and recent studies in psychology and neuroscience to argue for broad-based reforms. The book is organized according to the traditional parts of the legal system, from police investigation to adjudication and punishment. Each chapter brims with insider information and current research on topics such as police interrogation techniques, false memory, jury conduct and consultants, and punishment and imprisonment from an international perspective. The author clearly illustrates how bias permeates the system and the way reforms, such as the Miranda rule and the elimination of New York's "stop and frisk" laws, are circumvented. Benforado advocates a host of new evidence-based reforms including greater use of technology in policing (e.g., video cameras, smartphones, gunshot tracking devices) to more futuristic changes (e.g., use of "virtual" trials). VERDICT A stimulating critique of today's criminal justice system with applications to recent cases in Ferguson, MO, and elsewhere, this authoritative and accessible book is suited to a general audience and students.--Antoinette Brinkman, formerly with Southwest Indiana Mental Health Ctr. Lib., Evansville

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