Blind Goddess

The most significant writings of practitioners, professors and advocates to make sense of what is perhaps America's most astonishing and shameful achievement: the highest per capita incarceration of its citizens anywhere in the world, compounded by the shockingly disproportionate imprisonment of poor ethnic minorities. Although there is growing awareness of the huge fiscal cost of mass incarceration, the moral, human and social devastation of racially skewed law enforcement remains largely unrecognised.

Alexander Papachristou, a former practicing attorney, leads and advises social justice organizations focusing on human rights, education reform, and socioeconomic development. Patricia J. Williams is a professor of law at Columbia University and writes the monthly column "Diary of a Mad Law Professor" for The Nation. Both live in New York City.