• Volunteer
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Elmira Case Documentary Film
Community Justice InitiativesCommunity Justice InitiativesCommunity Justice InitiativesCommunity Justice Initiatives
    0
  •   was successfully added to your cart.
  • About Us
    • About CJI
      • Mission & Vision
      • What is Restorative Justice?
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Our Funders/Supporters
      • Privacy Policy PDF
      • Accessibility Policy
    • CJI History
      • Community Justice Initiatives Waterloo Region
      • The Elmira Case
    • People
      • Our Staff
      • Our Board of Directors
      • Advisory Collaborative Member Page
      • Employment Opportunities
      • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Contact Us
      • Getting to CJI
      • Parking
      • Agency Office Hours
      • Feedback and Complaints
  • Programs
    • Mediation and Conflict Resolution
      • Elder Mediation Services
      • Sulah
      • In Conflict?
      • Victim and Offender Reconciliation (VORP) and Youth Restorative Justice Program (YRJP)
      • Housing & Neighbours
      • Conflicts in Families
      • Workplace Conflict
      • Schools
      • Older Adults
      • Sports Teams
      • Facilitated Dialogue
      • Waterloo Region Home Share
    • People Impacted By Sexual Abuse and Trauma
      • Revive
      • Survivors of Sexual Violence
      • – Male Survivors
      • – Female Survivors
      • – Partners of Survivors
      • People who have Offended Sexually
      • – Cyber Sex Offenders
      • – People who are Offenders and Survivors
      • – Partners of People who have Offended Sexually
      • Facilitated Dialogue
    • Integration Circles
      • Stride
      • – Fresh Start Creations
    • Family and Youth
      • Family Centred Programs
      • – Family Group Decision Making
      • – Conflict Coaching
      • – Caregiver Teen Conflict Coaching
      • – New Ways for Families
      • Family Mediation
      • Elder Mediation Services
      • Conflict in Schools
      • Youth Restorative Justice Program (YRJP) and Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP)
    • People in the Justice System
      • Offender Support
      • Victim Support
  • Learning
    • Training
      • Register for the next Agency Orientation
      • Transformative Mediation
      • Training Subsidy
    • Public and Community Education
      • Topics and Workshops
      • Custom Presentations and Workshops
      • Restorative Justice and Restorative Practice Workshops
    • School and Students
      • For Schools
      • Student Placement Opportunities
    • Recommended Reading
      • Library
      • Staff Picks
      • CJI In Print
      • We’re in the News!
  • Store
    • Resources
      • Elmira Case Documentary Film
      • Books
      • Fresh Start Creations
    • Training
      • Transformative Mediation Training
      • Workshops
      • Request a Specialized Training
    • Services
      • Find a Mediator
      • Family Mediation
      • Workplace Mediation and Conflict Resolution
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
      • Become a CJI Volunteer
      • Volunteer FAQ
    • Connect
      • Donate to CJI
      • Membership
      • Join our Mailing List
    • Volunteer Training
      • Register for our Agency Orientation
      • Training Subsidy
      • Mediation Services
  • News & Events
    • What’s New at CJI
      • Blog
      • Help Teens Navigate Conflict
      • Newsletters & Annual Reports
    • Upcoming Events
      • Calendar
      • Volunteer Trainings
    • Restorative Justice Stories
      • CJI Participant Stories
      • Volunteer Stories
      • Digital Stories
    • Press
      • CJI Publications
      • We’re in the News!
Next Previous

Inferno

Community Justice Initiatives 15 August, 2017

Inferno: An Anatomy of American Punishment

America’s criminal justice system is broken. The United States punishes at a higher per capita rate than any other country in the world. In the last twenty years, incarceration rates have risen 500 percent. Sentences are harsh, prisons are overcrowded, life inside is dangerous, and rehabilitation programs are ineffective. Police and prosecutors operate in the dark shadows of the legal process–sometimes resigning themselves to the status quo, sometimes turning a profit from it. The courts define punishment as “time served,” but that hardly begins to explain the suffering of prisoners.

        Available in the CJI Library
Chris: why I pick this book
Robert Fergusson’s brilliant look deep into the drivers of and myths surrounding the American Justice System is a sobering look at an addiction to punishment and its consequences in Western society. Inferno forces the reader to come face to face with the illusion of proportionality in sentencing and how the disconnect between the enforcement (police), disposition (courts) and carceral  (prison) divisions of the system perpetuate a cycle of stigma, violence and dysfunction.  Fergusson forces us to look at those punished and those doing the punishing in a way that will forever challenge one’s deference our criminal justice system.

Leave a Comment

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • You may also like

    Changing Lenses

    Read now
  • You may also like

    The Little Book of Restorative Justice for Older Adults

    Read now
  • You may also like

    Imprisoning Our Sisters

    Read now
  • You may also like

    Through the Glass

    Read now


During our 40+ year history, we have continuously responded to community needs by creatively, and innovatively applying restorative justice principles to new problems. We believe the only limit to the power of restorative justice is the capacity of the human heart to change and grow.
READ MORE

FRIEND US
on facebook

FOLLOW US
on twitter

WATCH US
on youtube

WATCH MORE
on vimeo

SEE US
on instagram

CJI At A Glance

  • Home
  • About CJI
  • What is Restorative Justice?
  • CJI Video Stories
  • Contact Us
  • In Conflict?
  • Victim Support
  • Offender Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions

Get Involved!

  • Volunteer
  • Employment Opportunities
  • Donate
  • Replicating Stride
  • Contact Us

Programs & Services

  • Revive
  • Mediation
  • VORP and YRJP
  • Community Education

It Works!

All Rights Reserved | Made with ♥ by Frame
  • Contact Us
  • Search CJI
  • Donate
  • About CJI
  • In Conflict?
  • Victim Support
  • Offender Support
  • CJI Video Stories
  • Programs
    • Stride
    • Revive
    • Mediation
    • VORP and YRJP
    • Facilitated Dialogue
    • Family Centred Programs
  • Volunteering
  • Learning
  • The Elmira Case Story
  • Frequently Asked Questions
Community Justice Initiatives
    0 items
Cleantalk Pixel