Confronting the issue of wrongful convictions, this argument contends that these so-called mistakes or failures of the justice system too often target the financially disadvantaged and visible minority groups. Delving into the issues that underscore these decisions, this discussion suggests that the desire to obtain a conviction--thereby depicting the police and the court system in a positive light--often results in false evidence and court decisions based on prejudice and racism. Acknowledging its claims of impartiality, neutrality, and objectivity, this consideration nonetheless submits that the law is a tool designed to maintain the illegitimate domination of society, and that turning to the very system that erred in the first place to correct its errors is in itself a miscarriage of justice.

Surviving Justice: America's Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated presents oral histories of thirteen people from all walks of life, who, through a combination of all-too-common factors-overzealous prosecutors, inept defense lawyers, coercive interrogation tactics, eyewitness misidentification-found themselves imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. The stories these exonerated men and women tell are spellbinding, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring.

This classic book tells the harrowing and inspirational story of Robert Elliott Burns' imprisonment on a chain gang in Georgia in the 1920s, his subsequent escape from the chain gang (twice, no less!), and the public furor that developed across the nation. The book was immediately turned into a famous movie, sparking outrage about prison conditions and involuntary servitude that led to major reforms. This memoir is also simply a very interesting read. Originally issued in 1931 as a six-part serial in the pages of True Detective Mysteries magazine, and printed by the Vanguard Press the following year, this is an autobiographical account - written while in hiding, probably somewhere on the East Coast - of the author's painful adventures in the Georgia penal system, beginning with his arrest for stealing $5.80 from an Atlanta grocer in 1922. Burns' candid intent was to expose the brutality and corruption of the chain gang system, and he succeeded: the book created an instant furor upon publication and became a bestseller for its publisher. It served as the basis for the Mervyn LeRoy film released later in 1932, starring Paul Muni in the role of Robert Elliott Burns. The film heralded a new genre - the prison drama -and won three Oscars including a Best Actor Award for Muni. It is an enduring classic of its time and remains a compelling and timeless memoir.

From childhood, Ma Thida dreamed of helping others-caring for the sick, sharing information despite censorship, and standing up for people's rights. To stand against the oppression that had been stifling Myanmar's progress for decades, she joined Aung San Suu Kyi and the many other activists in the National League for Democracy, campaigning steadfastly despite intimidation, harassment, and worse. Because of her efforts, the regime sent her to Insein Prison, where she faced serious illness and bleak conditions. However, it was in fighting the obstacles of her imprisonment and following the Buddha's teachings that Ma Thida found what it means to be truly free. In this memoir, readers join Ma Thida on her path through captivity and witness one remarkable woman's courageous quest for truth and dignity.

In many jurisdictions today, life imprisonment is the most severe penalty that can be imposed. Despite this, it is a relatively under-researched form of punishment and no meaningful attempt has been made to understand its full human rights implications. This important collection fills that gap by addressing these two key questions: what is life imprisonment and what human rights are relevant to it? These questions are explored from the perspective of a range of jurisdictions, in essays that draw on both empirical and doctrinal research. Under the editorship of two leading scholars in the field, this innovative and important work will be a landmark publication in the field of penal studies and human rights.

Inside This Place, Not of It reveals some of the most egregious human rights violations within women's prisons in the United States. In their own words, the thirteen narrators in this book recount their lives leading up to incarceration and their experiences inside-ranging from forced sterilization and shackling during childbirth, to physical and sexual abuse by prison staff. Together, their testimonies illustrate the harrowing struggles for survival that women in prison must endure.