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Abstract: 

Russ Immarigeon, JCC’s book review editor, has pulled together a number of interesting books on the themes of photography and justice, reform history, risks and needs, sentencing reform, and Attica revisited. His review of photographer Helen Stummer’s two books reminds us of the important role photography has played in advancing the causes of social justice. In addition, the reviews of three recent titles dealing with sentencing reform are timely and should assist advocates for legislative changes that will make for a more balanced criminal justice system. For those working in criminal/correctional areas, sentencing is the gateway to those individuals we will see and those we attempt to assist. Community correctional professionals should do their best to keep up to date on issues related to sentencing. All in all, there is plenty of information to be gleaned from these reviews, and they may also entice us to select one or two for more careful reading over the summer. Books reviewed include “No Easy Walk: Newark, 1980–1993” and “Risking Life and Lens: A Photographic Memoir” by Helen Summer; “The Connecticut Prison Association and the Search for Reformatory Justice” by Gordon Bates; “Handbook on Risk and Need Assessment: Theory and Practice” edited by Faye S. Taxman; “Probation and Politics: Academic Reflections From Former Practitioners” edited by Maurice Vanstone and Philip Priestley; “Deserved Criminal Sentences” by Andreas von Hirsch; “Sentencing Reform and Modern Reform: The Process of Punishment” by Liz Marie Marciniak; and “The Attica Turkey Shoot: Carnage, Cover-Up, and the Pursuit of Justice” by Malcolm Bell.

Keywords: Reform History; Risks and Needs; Probation Practices; Sentencing Reform

Affiliations:  1: Contributing Editor.