Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black AmericaLocking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America
Score Modern
What it's about
James Forman Jr., a former public defender in Washington, D.C., asks why, from the 1970s on, many Black political leaders, police chiefs and residents in cities like Washington supported tough-on-crime policies, harsh drug laws and aggressive policing that helped build mass incarceration, often out of genuine concern for their communities.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction. It's a nuanced, surprising history.
You'll love it if you liked
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Blood in the Water
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American CityGood to know
It mixes history with Forman's own cases.
By the numbers
- Readers95 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller4 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz7 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #46 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #120 of the 1,648 modern books we rank
- #256 of the 3,057 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction. It ranks #256 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 82.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America about?
James Forman Jr., a former public defender in Washington, D.C., asks why, from the 1970s on, many Black political leaders, police chiefs and residents in cities like Washington supported tough-on-crime policies, harsh drug laws and aggressive policing that helped build mass incarceration, often out of genuine concern for their communities.
How long does it take to read Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America?
About 8 hours (320 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America won?
Pulitzer Prize (General Nonfiction) winner (2018).
What should I read after Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America?
If you liked it, try The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander, Blood in the Water by Heather Ann Thompson or Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond.