The inspiration for this book came from my experiences teaching religion and philosophy classes at the Green Bay Correctional Institution and at the Brown County Jail in Wisconsin. I have spent many hours talking to inmates about topics like love, anger, evil, and punishment. I have learned a great deal from these conversations, and I am grateful to all the students I have taught for their passion for learning. At the Brown County Jail, I am grateful to Brian Laurent, superintendent of the Brown County Juvenile Detention Center. Brian welcomed me when I expressed a desire to develop a teaching program at the jail, and helped me develop it. He displays a deep concern for the lives of inmates. At the Green Bay Correctional Facility, I am grateful to the men who worship at the Chapel and to Chaplain Mike Donavan and Father Jim Baraniak. I deeply value the time I spend talking and worshiping with the men in the Chapel, and appreciate their willingness to share their life experiences with me. I also thank Virginia Vanden Branden, organizer of the prison’s “Challenges and Possibilities” program. This program provided inmates with three months of lectures and a restorative justice seminar, and I will always be grateful to Ginny for inviting me to participate in it. With her quiet presence and deep faith in humanity, she has inspired me to hope for positive change even when it doesn’t seem possible.
At the Cook County Jail, I want to thank Sheriff Thomas J. Dart. I had the opportunity to talk with him about his work, and he graciously granted me access to the jail. I also am grateful to Benjamin Breit, director of communications for the Sheriff’s office. Ben helped me navigate the Cook County Jail’s confusing physical and bureaucratic landscape. I am also thankful to the inmates and staff who took time out to talk to me about their lives and experiences. Finally, I thank Eric Spruth, whose wonderful work with inmates I discuss in this book.
I particularly appreciate my good friend Rhonda Bell in Chicago. In my visits to the Cook County Jail, I shared many of my impressions with her in helpful and spirited discussions. She was always willing to listen to me as I returned from my jail visits.
For beneficial conversations or correspondence, I thank Christine Agaiby, David Coury, John F. Crosby, Amy Fettig, Paul J. Griffiths, Bernard Harcourt, Cliff Keenan, Eric Maciolek, Ellen Mommaerts, Michael Mushlin, Sharon Shalev, David Shapiro, and Marie VanNostrand.
At New York University Press, I thank Jeff Ferrel, editor of the Alternative Criminology series. Jeff read my manuscript submission, and recognized that it would be a good addition to his series. I also thank Ilene R. Kalish, executive editor of NYU Press. Ilene has been very helpful in her editorial comments and suggestions. Finally, I appreciate the comments of the anonymous referees who carefully read the manuscript from different perspectives. Several urged me to clarify my approach to penology. One reader read the manuscript philosophically, and pressed me to develop my arguments about dignity with greater precision. Another strongly urged me to explore prison abolitionism more sympathetically, and challenged me to take a clear stance on the jail’s moral legitimacy. All the reviewers enabled me to improve my argument substantially.
My wife Celestine has lived with me as I struggled to understand what is happening in our jails. She listens patiently when I relate the difficult things I see in jails and prisons. Yet, she also knows when to turn conversations away from the degradation and misery of our penal system. She has taught me a spiritual balance that I deeply value.
Finally, I dedicate this book to my beloved twin sons Zachariah and Caleb. They are now entering the world as adults, full of excitement and promise. It is my hope that their generation will begin to turn away from the madness of mass incarceration.