Abstract
Schenwar’s book, Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn’t Work and How We Can Do Better, is a thought-provoking book. Schenwar poignantly presents interwoven narratives about prisoners and their families. She chronicles her own journey beginning with visits to see her sister who was detained and imprisoned intermittently for various drug related offenses. As a result, she develops relationships with other inmates. The more she interacts with them, the more she learns about their lives and she becomes committed to advocating for those effected by incarceration. In an examination of the prison system, Schenwar uses her journalistic skills to elevate the voices of criminalized people.
Schenwar’s account contrasts the different experiences that privileged and disenfranchised families and prisoners face within the criminal legal system. She aptly unpacks the dynamics of interacting with the prison system and describes humane and sobering stories of inmates. Schenwar writes these stories and explains the prison experience as a sister, curious observer, journalist, willing connector, consciousness raiser, objector to the prison industry, and as a victim of a crime.
Locked Down, Locked Out is divided into two parts: (1) coming apart and (2) coming together. Coming apart describes the isolation of the prison system and its disadvantages which includes a failure to rehabilitate felons and truly keep society safe. Schenwar points out that the Prison Industrial Complex is a system that is fueled by financial gain that creates far worse conditions by further disenfranchising citizens.
Coming together focuses on how we might work together to dismantle the prison system. Schenwar also offers suggestions for dealing with “harm” that is perpetrated against another human being. Reframing how we view the legal concept of “crime” to consider the concept of “harm” connotes a more restorative framework. Schenwar also examines the roles of restorative and transformative justice as alternative starting points to incarceration.
Locked Down, Locked Out would be useful for any social work practice, policy, women’s studies, or a social justice course because (1) it adequately describes the problems of the prison system and how it affects women and children, (2) it compels the reader to imagine alternative solutions to incarcerating nonviolent citizens, (3) it provides compelling stories, and (4) it illuminates a pathway to engaging in social justice–oriented activities. Each chapter contains compelling narrative that may be used as case examples for graduate-level courses. These narratives allow for useful discussion of mitigating factors that lead to prison and critical discussions about promoting the full restoration of returning citizens.
Finally, Schenwar challenges us to imagine alternatives to incarcerating women for nonviolent crimes because of its devastating effect on the parent–child relationship. She reminds us that a large percentage of incarcerated women are mothers. When mothers are incarcerated, they become disconnected from their children, family, and community.