Ebook: The meaning of life: the case for abolishing life sentences

Introduction: Lessons of "the Birdman" -- Life by the numbers -- Denise Dodson -- Policies that drive life sentences -- Anita Colon and Robert Holbrook -- Doing life -- "Death is different" -- Sam Lewis -- The American commitment to punishment -- The meaning of life around the world -- William Underwood -- The racial meaning of life -- The meaning of life for criminal justice reform -- Kelly Garrett and Justin Singleton -- The meaning of life for public safety -- Enacting a twenty-year maximum sentence -- Willis X. Harris -- The future of life in America -- Author's note.;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. Also features profiles of a half dozen people affected by life sentences, written by former "lifer" and writer Kerry Myers.--