Résumé
The author offers a look at the lives of women who have been rendered virtually invisible by their race, sex, and incarceration, noting that two-thirds of new inmates are black women. Johnson begins with a historical overview and analysis of criminal law and sentencing reform with the rise in the U.S. prison population and closes with recommendations for reform. But the most compelling part of the book is the middle section, which includes interviews with women who are or have been incarcerated. By including photographs, Johnson gives these women visibility and voice as they relate their lives, their crimes, and their efforts to remain connected to families and communities. This is a powerful look at the forces that drove these women to crime--most murdered abusive husbands and boyfriends or committed drug-related offenses--as well as their efforts to maintain ties to their children and their growing self-awareness.