Your book centres on the myths that enable mass incarceration. What makes these myths so dangerous?
Victoria Law: These myths emerge over time, and often serve to whip up fear and build support for more spending on policing and prisons (while cutting funds to other needed resources, such as housing, health care, education, and economic opportunities). Everyone wants to feel safe and free from the fear of violence and attack – many of the myths that prop up the system of mass incarceration play into these fears. One of the most widespread and enduring myths is that we need prisons to keep us safe(r). In the US, every child has been fed this myth from a young age, and it continues through adulthood via cop and crime shows, mainstream media, and politicians.
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