The Meaning of Life: The Case for Abolishing Life Sentences

by Marc Mauer, Ashley Nellis, Kerry Myers (Contribution by)

Overview

"I can think of no authors more qualified to research the complex impact of life sentences than Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis. They have the expertise to track down the information that all citizens need to know and the skills to translate that research into accessible and powerful prose."
—Heather Ann Thompson, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Blood in the Water

From the author of the classic Race to Incarcerate, a forceful and necessary argument for eliminating life sentences, including profiles of six people directly impacted by life sentences by formerly incarcerated author Kerry Myers

Most Western democracies have few or no people serving life sentences, yet here in the United States more than 200,000 people are sentenced to such prison terms.

Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis of The Sentencing Project argue that there is no practical or moral justification for a sentence longer than twenty years. Harsher sentences have been shown to have little effect on crime rates, since people "age out" of crime—meaning that we're spending a fortune on geriatric care for older prisoners who pose little threat to public safety. Extreme punishment for serious crime also has an inflationary effect on sentences across the spectrum, helping to account for severe mandatory minimums and other harsh punishments.

A thoughtful and stirring call to action, The Meaning of Life also features moving profiles of a half dozen people affected by life sentences, written by former "lifer" and award-winning writer Kerry Myers. The book will tie in to a campaign spearheaded by The Sentencing Project and offers a much-needed road map to a more humane criminal justice system.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620974094
Publisher:	New Press, The
Publication date:	12/11/2018
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Marc Mauer is the executive director of The Sentencing Project, a national organization based in Washington, DC, that promotes criminal justice reform. He is the author of Race to Incarcerate, the co-editor (with Meda Chesney-Lind) of Invisible Punishment: The Collateral Consequences of Mass Imprisonment. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland. Ashley Nellis is a senior research analyst for The Sentencing Project who has written extensively on the prevalence of life sentences in the United States. She lives in Falls Church, Virginia.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Lessons of "The Birdman" 1

Life by the Numbers 7

Denise Dodson 19

Policies That Drive Life Sentences 25

Anita Colon and Robert Holbrook 37

Doing Life 43

"Death Is Different" 55

Sam Lewis 67

The American Commitment to Punishment 73

The Meaning of Life Around the World 85

William Underwood 95

The Racial Meaning of Life 101

The Meaning of Life for Criminal Justice Reform 111

Kelly Garrett and Justin Singleton 123

The Meaning of Life for Public Safety 129

Enacting a Twenty-Year Maximum Sentence 145

Willis X. Harris 169

The Future of Life in America 175

Author's Note 181

Acknowledgments 189

Notes 191

Editorial Reviews

10/29/2018
Mauer (Race to Incarcerate) and Nellis expose the problematic consequences of life sentencing in this well-argued collaboration. Drawing on personal stories (including six profiles of prisoners serving life sentences written by former “lifer” Kerry Myers), research, and years of experience at the Sentencing Project, where they work, they argue that life imprisonment, to which more than 200,000 people are subject in the U.S., is ineffective and costly; violates legal and human rights norms; disproportionately affects marginalized people; and does not meaningfully increase public safety (for example, someone who murdered an abuser and a mafia hit man may receive the same sentence, despite posing very different levels of danger to the public). They note that the U.S. imposes more severe sentences on more people than other developed nations and propose a blueprint for policy change: imposing a 20-year sentencing maximum and establishing more helpful services to ensure convicts are “equipped to reenter society in a meaningful, self-sustaining way.” The authors make a strong case for abolishing life sentencing in this trenchant and urgent book. Photos. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Meaning of Life:
"An important book."
—Verdict

"A ferociously persuasive case against the use of life sentences. Its arguments are well-organized and honed to a razor's edge, and its policy proposals have a remarkable clarity and thoroughness. At the same time, it never loses sight of the human stakes of the argument and it works hard to persuade readers of its case."
—Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books

"An impressive blend of statistical analysis and personal experiences to reveal the story of life sentencing in the U.S. While the figures are alarming and should set off alarms, it is the stories that invoke emotional responses. . . . [T]he degree of detail in this well-titled book makes it an excellent resource and of great value to those seeking a way to effect positive social change."
—Booklist

"Mauer (Race to Incarcerate) and Nellis expose the problematic consequences of life sentencing in this well-argued collaboration. . . . [A] trenchant and urgent book."
—Publishers Weekly

"As with Mauer's Race to Incarcerate, this book is convincingly and meticulously researched while also balanced in its acknowledgement that the issue [of life sentencing] remains complex and highly controversial. Mauer and Nellis not only build a compelling argument for ending life imprisonment; they also provide strategic public-policy groundwork for enacting a maximum 20-year sentence. . . . A riveting, passionate case against lifetime incarceration and a plea for criminal justice reform."
—Kirkus Reviews

"I can think of no authors more qualified to research the complex impact of life sentences than Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis. They have the expertise to track down the information that all citizens need to know and the skills to translate that research into accessible and powerful prose."
—Heather Ann Thompson, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Blood in the Water

"Sure to have a profound impact on legislators and everyday citizens across America. The Sentencing Project started working on criminal justice reform long before it became fashionable. Combining impeccable research with smart policy recommendations, their work continues to set the gold standard."
—James Forman Jr., author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Locking Up Our Own

"A blistering indictment of America's practice of sentencing people to die in prison that dares readers to change the way we think about public safety,redemption, and justice. Essential reading for anyone committed to restoring legitimacy to our institutions."
—Vanita Gupta, president and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

"The life sentence is the hard core of America's punitive penal complex. Without the kind of bold rethinking that Mauer and Nellis offer, mass incarceration will be inescapable."
—Jonathan Simon, author of Mass Incarceration on Trial

"An argument as persuasive as it is humane."
—Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award–winning author of Stamped from the Beginning

Praise for Race to Incarcerate: A Graphic Retelling:
"The perfect antidote to the silence in textbooks about the prison-industrial complex in the United States."
—Rethinking Schools

"Sabrina Jones transforms Mauer's history of the criminal justice system into a powerful true crime story—accessible to young readers and people of all ages."
—BuzzFlash

"A searing indictment of divisive policies and empty rhetoric."
—Shelf Awareness

"A perfect tool for educating the young and the non-wonkish about the issues involved and the forces involved in that All-American urge to punish. . . . It is a powerful tool for good. "
—StoptheDrugWar.org

"A striking graphic novel. . . . Jones' grim yet lively art accentuates every argument."
—Reason

"Its political and cultural immediacy makes this an excellent title for adults interested in social issues as well as for college students, teens, and tweens. It also serves as a bridge to Mauer's original edition, since skillful black-and-white visuals from Jones add clarity and vividness to complex issues."
—Library Journal

"Jones channels the tradition of liberal-Left political cartooning to give this graphic documentary a dynamic, woodcut-like look that galvanizes its adaptation. . . . With Jones' inspirational help, this version has plenty of punch. Terrific for current-events teaching, too."
—Booklist


Praise for Marc Mauer's Race to Incarcerate:
"An important book. The numbers tell a shocking story."
—San Diego Union-Tribune

"Insightful. . . . Sheds new light on the relationship between drug use, sales, arrests, and race."
—Emerge

"Race to Incarcerate explains why prisoners have become commodities and why present policies are draining black communities of their young men."
—Julian Bond, Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors

From the Publisher

2018-10-02

A study on the counterproductive impact of life sentences.

Using startling statistical data, the Sentencing Project executive director Mauer (Race to Incarcerate, 1999, etc.) and Nellis (A Return to Justice: Rethinking our Approach to Juveniles in the System, 2015, etc.), senior research analyst, vehemently defend their crusade against life imprisonment, which is the sentence for a shocking number of inmates in American prisons. This number has been steadily rising over the last half-century despite a substantial decline in violent crime. The authors also argue that prison sentences longer than 20 years have "diminishing returns," with few moral or practical justifications. Bolstering the authors' arguments are six stirring portraits involving life-sentenced convicts, curated by former lifer Kerry Myers, who served nearly 30 years of his life sentence and remains adamant about his innocence. Mauer and Nellis sprinkle the profiles throughout chapters examining detrimental prison policy choices, racial biases, declining clemency rates, and the negative trends of sentence severity. The authors discuss lifetime terms for juveniles, such as a former Los Angeles gang member convicted of murder in his youth whose productive post-prison life reflects the authors' core argument. Another instructive story is that of a former convict who credits a disciplined work schedule and daily service-animal training as keys to her rehabilitation during incarceration. As with Mauer's Race to Incarcerate, this book is convincingly and meticulously researched while also balanced in its acknowledgement that the issue remains complex and highly controversial. Mauer and Nellis not only build a compelling argument for ending life imprisonment; they also provide strategic public-policy groundwork for enacting a maximum 20-year sentence. They outline recommendations for a "full recalibration of the American sentencing structure" and a prison system-wide overhaul that they believe will increase overall public safety. Readers on both sides of the argument will surely find this book fodder for inspired debate and proactive discussion.

A riveting, passionate case against lifetime incarceration and a plea for criminal justice reform.

Kirkus Reviews