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Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Incarceration

Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Incarceration

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  • Author：Christine Montross
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Summary

*L。A。 Times Book Prize Finalist*
*New York Times Books to Watch for in July*
*Time Best New Books July 2020*

Galvanized by her work in our nation's jails， psychiatrist Christine Montross illuminates the human cost of mass incarceration and mental illness

Dr。 Christine Montross has spent her career treating the most severely ill psychiatric patients。 Several years ago， she set out to investigate why so many of her patients got caught up in the legal system when discharged from her care--and what happened to them therein。

Waiting for an Echo is a riveting， rarely seen glimpse into American incarceration。 It is also a damning account of policies that have criminalized mental illness， shifting large numbers of people who belong in therapeutic settings into punitive ones。

The stark world of American prisons is shocking for all who enter it。 But Dr。 Montross's expertise--the mind in crisis--allowed her to reckon with the human stories behind the bars。 A father attempting to weigh the impossible calculus of a plea bargain。 A bright young woman whose life is derailed by addiction。 Boys in a juvenile detention facility who， desperate for human connection， invent a way to communicate with one another from cell to cell。 Overextended doctors and correctional officers who strive to provide care and security in environments riddled with danger。 In these encounters， Montross finds that while our system of correction routinely makes people with mental illness worse， just as routinely it renders mentally stable people psychiatrically unwell。 The system is quite literally maddening。

Our methods of incarceration take away not only freedom but also selfhood and soundness of mind。 In a nation where 95 percent of all inmates are released from prison and return to our communities， this is a practice that punishes us all。

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Reviews

Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship ，

I agree with this author’s basic premise that American jails and prisons are in desperate need of serious reform， and that our system of incarceration is often counterproductive， serving to exacerbate the problems of racism， poverty and mental illness without actually rehabilitating inmates， who are returned to the streets with even less ability to lawfully support themselves than they had before。 That said， this isn’t a good book。Basically this is an extended op-ed， in which the author writes a I agree with this author’s basic premise that American jails and prisons are in desperate need of serious reform， and that our system of incarceration is often counterproductive， serving to exacerbate the problems of racism， poverty and mental illness without actually rehabilitating inmates， who are returned to the streets with even less ability to lawfully support themselves than they had before。 That said， this isn’t a good book。Basically this is an extended op-ed， in which the author writes about her minimal and brief encounters with prisons and inmates， and a whole lot about her opinions and feelings， without contributing either an effective narrative or new insights or research。 I can see why it has a high average rating （if you already feel strongly about something， it can be validating to read opinion pieces by people who agree with you）， but the low number of ratings for a book on such a hot topic should have given me pause。 Just Mercy or The New Jim Crow this is not。Dr。 Christine Montross does not work in a prison， so my hopes for a thoughtful insider’s view of working in the justice system—like a couple other excellent books I’ve read this year， Tangled Up in Blue （about policing） and The Second Chance Club （probation and parole）—were dashed。 She actually works in a psychiatric hospital， but now and again she’s called to a jail or prison to perform one-time competency evaluations of inmates to determine whether they’re able to stand trial。 Aside from conducting these interviews， she takes a few tours of various facilities。 While that is more time than the average upper-middle-class white American spends in prisons， she never meets any inmate more than once， or gets to know anyone affected by the system well enough to share more from their lives than scattered anecdotes。 So her narrative winds up being about her， but since she’s just passing through there isn’t a lot to say there。 And because she focuses so much on her own experience， there isn’t as much data as there could be and the organization gets lost。That said， there is food for thought in her arguments， and points that need to be made。 Montross makes a strong argument for why solitary confinement is a terrible thing that leads to severe mental health problems， and yet it’s practically unregulated; some facilities even use it on juveniles， and for up to a year （！）。 As she points out， parents who decided to lock their child up alone in a bathroom for a week for swearing at them would likely find him removed from their care， but in institutions this is apparently a good plan。 She also makes some strong points about how devastating it is to be removed from everyone and everything one cares about for years or even decades; many people would likely prefer physical punishment if given the choice， but as a society we’ve decided one is barbaric and the other totally fine。And there is the way we assume people who are locked up are simply bad people， when the privileged have often committed plenty of crimes themselves but never been caught or gotten off lightly。 There’s a bit where the author， her wife， and six of their gainfully employed， PTA-attending friends get together and confess all the crimes they’ve committed without consequence， and I don’t know whether to say it’s eye-opening or that Montross has bad taste in friends， because some of that definitely went beyond what I expected。 The book also addresses the way that people’s behavior generally conforms to the way they’re treated—so prisons that treat people like animals for “security” reasons tend to find themselves swamped by security threats from prisoners behaving accordingly， while those that show more respect tend to produce people who deserve it—and that some extreme prison behavior， such as self-harm or chucking bodily fluids at guards， can be the only way prisoners have to get themselves noticed or responded to。 And of course， she writes about the needs of mentally ill people who are unable to conform their behavior to others’ expectations—which puts them on a collision course with prison rules when they wind up in an environment where deviations are harshly punished。Where the book is less successful is in discussing solutions。 Montross visits Halden Prison in Norway， a favorite destination for prison reform advocates， and expresses great admiration for the place。 While its inmates are serious criminals， it’s extremely cushy by American standards， resembling a college campus/job training program whose participants just happen to live on-site。 Halden has been extremely successful at reducing recidivism， probably because rather than in spite of the way it treats its inmates like humans and addresses the needs that brought them there in the first place。All well and good， but Montross seems to naively believe that Halden could be reproduced in the U。S。， likely because she’s viewing prisons outside the context of the society as a whole。 Okay， Norway also has a significant minority population these days， but what it doesn’t have is the U。S。’s desperate， grinding poverty， which most（？） of our electorate has absolutely no interest in relieving; the very notion gets a significant number foaming at the mouth。 Treating prisoners better than law-abiding citizens （Halden’s inmates， for instance， get nice private rooms with en suite bathrooms and their own TVs， while America’s poor are often homeless， doubled-up， couch-surfing， constantly facing eviction and utility shut-offs， living in dilapidated housing full of mold and roaches that nevertheless eats up most of their paycheck in rent， etc。 etc。） is never going to happen and probably shouldn’t—it creates rational incentives to commit crime， and anyway， how well would Norway’s newly rehabilitated prisoners do in an American environment， with the barriers they’d face to decent housing， employment， medical care， and being treated like a worthwhile citizen？ I realize this is a deeply cynical paragraph， but you can’t sensibly look at prisons outside the context of the wider society， as Montross is trying to do。Finally， I was unimpressed with the way Montross idealizes involuntary commitment and locked psychiatric wards （the institution where she actually works）。 I realize that， in the real world， for some people who are poor， lack a support system， and have a mental illness that causes them to act out publicly in ways others find threatening， jail and the psych ward may be the only realistic options and the psych ward is probably better than jail。 However， having read several memoirs including experiences of involuntary commitment/stays in American psychiatric hospitals—and discovering that of those， the author whose portrayal of that experience is the most positive ultimately quit his job as a public defender because his own experience of being locked up was too traumatic to allow him to continue visiting clients in jail—I’m skeptical of this view。 And Montross doesn’t help her own case by， early in the book， quoting approvingly an official who argues that， “If mental-health advocates are still talking about civil rights， they have outlived their time。” So let’s write about what we think is best for others without listening to their voices， eh？So overall， yeah， didn’t think much of this one。 Our jails and prisons have all kinds of problems but surely someone has written a better book about them。 。。。more

Deanna ，

The author does a great job bringing to light a broken system and showing solutions are possible。

Andrew ，

Christine Montross strikes at the very heart of what is wrong with the American criminal justice system， with her book "Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Inceration"。 Having worked for years in the system， she writes with expertise about how the American desire for revenge， rules the day， as millions of Americans waste away in prison。Like so many institutions in America today， the current version of the criminal justice system， seemed like a good idea at the time of its creation。 But， Christine Montross strikes at the very heart of what is wrong with the American criminal justice system， with her book "Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Inceration"。 Having worked for years in the system， she writes with expertise about how the American desire for revenge， rules the day， as millions of Americans waste away in prison。Like so many institutions in America today， the current version of the criminal justice system， seemed like a good idea at the time of its creation。 But， just like other institutions， time and the human desire for power over others， have twisted it into something sickening， deeply flawed， and arguably， irreparable。 In particular， the prolific use of solitary confinement， which the United Nations deems as torture， is frequently and， perhaps gleefully， used by prison officials to punish even the slightest of infractions。 Montross describes the current criminal justice system from the moment of arrest， forward。 Other books detail the problems with the criminal justice system， pre-arrest。 In total， though， it is a system that shocks the conscience and pains the soul。 Every American should read this book to understand what it is they pay for， and what is done in their name。 This is a book that you will not soon forget， and deserves deep reflection。 。。。more

Mary Whisner ，

Psychiatrist gives a tour of our incarceration system， starting with her work evaluating defendants’ competence to stand trial。 Great observations about the ways juvenile “justice” does the absolutely wrong things for young people’s development and how the pervasive use of solitary confinement damages mental health。 In the next to last chapter she visits Norway and Sweden who are trying the remarkable project of preparing prisoners for productive lives when they return to the community。

Caity ，

Interesting information and point of view， not very well written。

Kristina ，

Christine Montross is a psychiatrist who examines mental health in the American jail/prison system in WAITING FOR AN ECHO。 In her professional life， she performs competency exams for prisoners。 She describes in this book how mental illness and incarceration are connected。 Individuals with mental illness are often arrested for crimes that may stem from their mental health （e。g。， hearing voices， paranoia， etc。） and instead of receiving mental health care， they are often put in the prison system。 A Christine Montross is a psychiatrist who examines mental health in the American jail/prison system in WAITING FOR AN ECHO。 In her professional life， she performs competency exams for prisoners。 She describes in this book how mental illness and incarceration are connected。 Individuals with mental illness are often arrested for crimes that may stem from their mental health （e。g。， hearing voices， paranoia， etc。） and instead of receiving mental health care， they are often put in the prison system。 And the treatment within prisons will often exacerbate and cause mental health problems。 She cites， as many due， the 1960's when mental health hospitals discharged much of their populations （deinstitutionalization）。 In theory， this was a positive， as there was supposed to be a correlative outpatient community option for these individuals， which was not delivered on。 Thus， prisons became defect mental health institutions （transinstitutionalization）。 This is a nice companion piece to the excellent book The New Jim Crow and highlights many of the same problems with the system。 She spends the final part of the book highlighting another country's system- Norway， which spends not that much more on their prisoners but the philosophy is completely different than America's。 Think of revenge versus of rehabilitation and respect。 While I did not feel this book offered a whole lot of new knowledge about the prison system， it was still an interesting book。 。。。more

Sofia ，

Such an interesting and thought-provoking non-fiction。 I learned a lot from this book。 Just Mercy is one of my favorite books of all time and Waiting for an Echo had a very similar approach to such important topics such as incarceration， life in prisons in America， justice， segregation， etc。 I think everyone should read this type of books at least once。

Agata Wang ，

“And so， despite countless studies demonstrating that our current prison practices are inefficient， expensive， ineffective， and inhumane， we are not jolted into action because we are unwilling to relinquish our desire for vengeance。”“It would be easier if we don’t pretend that we who live free lives are morally superior to the people who sit in cells。”“The opposite of poverty isn’t wealth。 The opposite of poverty is justice” - Bryan Stevenson

Monica Willyard Moen ，

This is not an easy book to read， not because of poor writing， but because it requires us to use empathy and to think outside our comfort zone’s。 I found myself viewing the ideas in this book through several lenses such as Christian， rape survivor， the niece of a convicted felon， and married mother/grandmother。 I could feel resistance in myself during some of the chapters， while other chapters open my eyes and helped me to face my own desires for safety， vengeance， mercy， and the health of my co This is not an easy book to read， not because of poor writing， but because it requires us to use empathy and to think outside our comfort zone’s。 I found myself viewing the ideas in this book through several lenses such as Christian， rape survivor， the niece of a convicted felon， and married mother/grandmother。 I could feel resistance in myself during some of the chapters， while other chapters open my eyes and helped me to face my own desires for safety， vengeance， mercy， and the health of my community。 I have been contemplating volunteering for a ministry that works by sending letters back-and-forth with people who are in prison。 This book has helped me examine some of my fears and doubts as well as giving me some encouragement to take the next step forward。 I still have some doubts about some of the authors ideas， and I think she would be OK with that since it means I’m beginning to think about subjects where my mind was formerly closed。 One of the biggest assumptions she asks me to examine is that all people in prison deserve to be there and that all people who are there have committed violent crimes。 I think she has proven solidly that I am wrong in believing that everyone in prison has committed a violent crime。 If I can admit that I am wrong about that part of things， maybe I am wrong about other things as well。 I think this is a book I will need to revisit in the future as I continue to let God open my heart and examine what is really true versus reality of my own making。 。。。more

Leila ，

A detailed and fascinating account of a part of the prison system we don't often hear much about。 Montross's work in American prisons connects the lack of social services for people from marginalized backgrounds to their overrepresentation in prison populations （and， once there， their increased sentences due to "misbehavior" that is almost fully attributable to mental illness caused by being in traumatizing prison facilities）。 Her examination of Scandinavian prisons is extraordinary--and her cla A detailed and fascinating account of a part of the prison system we don't often hear much about。 Montross's work in American prisons connects the lack of social services for people from marginalized backgrounds to their overrepresentation in prison populations （and， once there， their increased sentences due to "misbehavior" that is almost fully attributable to mental illness caused by being in traumatizing prison facilities）。 Her examination of Scandinavian prisons is extraordinary--and her claim that we search for revenge and not rehabilitation in our prisons will remain in my mind as I continue to read and learn about mass incarceration in the US。 I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone， especially those with an interest in criminal justice and/or psychiatric treatment。 。。。more

Jonathan Card ，

Eye-opening look to the “madness” that is incarcerating those with mental illness into prisons across the U。S。 With de-funding in the field of mental illness， it’s only expected that facilities will， and have， closed across the country。 With thousands of patients tossed into the street， it’s only a matter of time before they find themselves behind bars because there is simply nowhere else to go。 The author being a psychiatrist gives plenty of examples on how society is turning their backs on tho Eye-opening look to the “madness” that is incarcerating those with mental illness into prisons across the U。S。 With de-funding in the field of mental illness， it’s only expected that facilities will， and have， closed across the country。 With thousands of patients tossed into the street， it’s only a matter of time before they find themselves behind bars because there is simply nowhere else to go。 The author being a psychiatrist gives plenty of examples on how society is turning their backs on those that need help the most。 。。。more

Elizabeth Jackson ，

Absolutely everyone should read this book， but it will break your heart。

Michelle ，

When will we open our eyes？Listened to this via Audible- narrated by the author herself。 Amazing。 Gripping。

Sharon ，

Dr。 Christine Montross has spent her career treating the most severely ill psychiatric patients， mainly in a private hospital setting。 After discharged from her care， many of her patients were ending up in the legal system with little or no access to mental health care。Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Incarceration is the culmination of the doctor's in-depth investigation into the American penal system。 Dr。 Christine Montross shows how policy has dictated the treatment of the mentall Dr。 Christine Montross has spent her career treating the most severely ill psychiatric patients， mainly in a private hospital setting。 After discharged from her care， many of her patients were ending up in the legal system with little or no access to mental health care。Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Incarceration is the culmination of the doctor's in-depth investigation into the American penal system。 Dr。 Christine Montross shows how policy has dictated the treatment of the mentally ill， criminalizing them when in the prison system in a way that is heartbreaking and sometimes cruel。Especially considering the current news stories about how mentally ill individuals are treated by police， it is not surprising that Dr。 Montross uncovers case after case of poor treatment in the penal system。 The biggest problem that I have with Waiting for an Echo is the lack of organization of the book itself。 Repetitive and scattered， the book lacks cohesiveness。 Overall， it does not surprise me that the penal system is rife with problems， especially regarding the mentally ill。 Waiting for an Echo is eye-opening in a lot of ways and I would recommend it to readers who are interested in the subject。 。。。more

Penina ，

4。75Laced with examples from her work in prisons and psychiatric hospitals， this nonfiction book is readable and the case compelling。

Kim ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Another great book with dark yet necessary insights into the American prison system。 It is incredibly hard to read this book and see that there is something that could be done （and has been done in other countries） but feel like the uphill battle to get it done in the U。S。 will be incredibly immense。 I still feel like I need more time to process what I read in this book。 However， I will say that Christine Montross did a wonderful job researching and writing this book。 Must read for anyone trying Another great book with dark yet necessary insights into the American prison system。 It is incredibly hard to read this book and see that there is something that could be done （and has been done in other countries） but feel like the uphill battle to get it done in the U。S。 will be incredibly immense。 I still feel like I need more time to process what I read in this book。 However， I will say that Christine Montross did a wonderful job researching and writing this book。 Must read for anyone trying to help with changing our nations justice system。 。。。more

Elizabeth ，

Once he’s within the prison’s orbit， what power does one man have to resist the pull of the dehumanizing fortresses of containment？ What amount of force is required to tear away from these industrial complexes of trauma and punishment and exile？ The U。S。 carceral system is maddening—for those whose minds are tested against solitary confinement and debasement inside concrete walls， and for those who have or will come to realize just how counterproductive and misaligned these prisons really are Once he’s within the prison’s orbit， what power does one man have to resist the pull of the dehumanizing fortresses of containment？ What amount of force is required to tear away from these industrial complexes of trauma and punishment and exile？ The U。S。 carceral system is maddening—for those whose minds are tested against solitary confinement and debasement inside concrete walls， and for those who have or will come to realize just how counterproductive and misaligned these prisons really are。 It is a maladaptive cycle that leads to less secure communities and ablation of accountability and a recidivism rate of 83 percent。 Juxtapose this with prisons in Norway and Sweden。 In the former， high recidivism rates in the 1980s and 90s have since become next to none。 Their philosophies are “aligned with what will work， with what will reduce crime and diminish violence， with what will increase the safety of the communities and thus the nation。”When has our empathy and compassion morphed into fear and vengeance？ In Waiting for an Echo， I was endlessly impressed with how well psychiatrist Christine Montross weaves together anecdotes and statistics that shed light on the mentally ill population in the US prison system and the broader experience inside jails to supermax facilities。 There are too many heartbreaking stories and facts to recount， whether teenages in solitary standing on toilets just to hold a conversation with each other or the fact that “roughly a quarter million children in our country live with their lone caregiver in jail。” And it’s easier to believe that we are where we are because we are morally superior to the people who are not free to do these things。 But the truth more often lies in the privilege of circumstance—or in sheer luck—than in any difference of moral character。 And I think we have to lean into that uncomfortable conception。 This is privilege staring coolly at our faces in the mirror， whether due to our race or socioeconomic status。 I’ll be reading The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness soon; even the author recommends this as reading to get at the crux of race， especially the overrepresentation of African Americans， leading to mass incarceration。If you strip away inefficacious state laws and cruel punishments， you only have to observe systems across the globe to see a path forward for criminals built upon humanity and rehabilitation。 If that’s what we want， we don’t need to conjure some impossibly rosy utopia。 Since when did those ever work， anyway？ Waiting for an Echo， with that one-two punch of empathy and logic， is on a mission to shatter our presuppositions and reveal the vulnerability at the core of the people we lock away， if nothing else。 。。。more

Bryan ，

A brilliant book that shows how our penitentiary system is broken。

Pam ，

This is one of the best and most important books I have ever read。 I believe every American should read it， starting with the president， every representative and senator， and every government employee who works in corrections。 I now want to move to Norway or Sweden， because their approach to management of criminal behavior is so much more humane and effective than the American way and I despair of the United States ever changing to that extent。 In essence the American system is built around retr This is one of the best and most important books I have ever read。 I believe every American should read it， starting with the president， every representative and senator， and every government employee who works in corrections。 I now want to move to Norway or Sweden， because their approach to management of criminal behavior is so much more humane and effective than the American way and I despair of the United States ever changing to that extent。 In essence the American system is built around retribution， which almost guarantees to send people back into their communities worse than when they started。 The Scandinavian focus is rehabilitation， as it should be。 。。。more

Gwen ，

I will never think about incarceration the same way again。 I’ve long been convinced of the need for criminal justice reform， but this book clarified and gave weight to arguments for completely reimagining how we treat people。 It illuminates the urgent need to replace a broken system based on seeking revenge not justice。

Rachel G ，

An absolutely riveting summation of what we are getting wrong with mass incarceration， mandatory sentencing， treating children as adults， and our prison system。 The language， while scientific and laden with technical terms， is understandable for a lay reader。 Strong recommendation， particularly for people with an interest in criminal justice reform。 If you liked Just Mercy， this is in your wheelhouse。

McKenna ，

The author， a psychiatrist who has spent time in correctional settings， generally advocates for reforming America's prison systems to better reflect those seen in Nordic countries， such as Norway and Sweden - where those incarcerated undergo a rehabilitative process through something akin to a restorative justice lens。 People are generally treated humanely， recidivism rates are some of the lowest in the world， and inmates given greater agency。 Montross is not an abolitionist， despite being very The author， a psychiatrist who has spent time in correctional settings， generally advocates for reforming America's prison systems to better reflect those seen in Nordic countries， such as Norway and Sweden - where those incarcerated undergo a rehabilitative process through something akin to a restorative justice lens。 People are generally treated humanely， recidivism rates are some of the lowest in the world， and inmates given greater agency。 Montross is not an abolitionist， despite being very critical of the practices used in America's correctional facilities， particularly in juvenile centers and the use of solitary confinement。 What she makes evident is that， under the guise of promoting public safety， our correctional facilities punish and 'other'-ize。 They do not heal， rehabilitate， or demonstrate faith in the ability for positive human growth and change。What's lacking in the argument for establishing a Nordic system of incarceration， for one， is the social， cultural， and economic differences between Nordic countries and the United States。 We don't offer the same social safety net， and although Montross sort of touches on the strength of these European countries' social services and opportunities， she doesn't really bring that into her argument for the reformation of America's prison systems。 Arguably， this is something that does and will need to be addressed - greater investment in preventing crime and violence through addressing their association with determinants such as access to healthcare， housing stability， poverty， education， etc。 The work of reforming a punitive system that cages people， shuts them out from the world， and dehumanizes them （within the frame of abolition or not） needs to coincide with movements to dismantle other systems of oppression that perpetuate that violence。 As someone who is critical of the institution of psychiatry in the United States， I also had an issue with some of her conceptualizations of mental illness， effective treatments， and behavior。 So it goes。 Still， got something out of this， even if I don't fully agree with some of Montross' conclusions。（NOTE: This review as of 10/27 is literally just a couple key takeaways upon finishing， but does not address all core aspects of the book， including Montross' explanation of the intersection between mental illness and mass incarceration， with roots in the deinstitutionalization movement （I'm a some-pros， some-cons on that myself） and what may very well be considered a criminalization of mental illness。 May edit later。） 。。。more

Lisa ，

If you loved Bryan Stevenson’s book Just Mercy then you will love this book。

Martha Phillips ，

My takeaway quote: "The lesson on the psychiatric ward is the same as the lesson from the prison cell: The person with the least control also has the least to lose。 To defuse a tense situation， it's often most effective to give the person who feels powerless some bit of control， some sense of agency 。。。 to align with patients when possible rather than stand in opposition to them。" My takeaway quote: "The lesson on the psychiatric ward is the same as the lesson from the prison cell: The person with the least control also has the least to lose。 To defuse a tense situation， it's often most effective to give the person who feels powerless some bit of control， some sense of agency 。。。 to align with patients when possible rather than stand in opposition to them。" 。。。more

Kerin ，

Eye opening， well researched， beautifully written。 Bravo Dr。 Montross。

Steve Matthews ，

Exceptional。 Graphically and anecdotally presents the vengeance/punishment/control based American prison system and shows despite its staggering monetary and human costs why it fails at preventing crime and at returning prisoners to productive lives。 Pages 240-242 should be read in context of “Caste”。 The quote from a person at halden prison in Sweden sums it up。 “To wish to punish people you have to have the perspective that those people are not ‘us’ 。They are ‘them’。 There is a better way but Exceptional。 Graphically and anecdotally presents the vengeance/punishment/control based American prison system and shows despite its staggering monetary and human costs why it fails at preventing crime and at returning prisoners to productive lives。 Pages 240-242 should be read in context of “Caste”。 The quote from a person at halden prison in Sweden sums it up。 “To wish to punish people you have to have the perspective that those people are not ‘us’ 。They are ‘them’。 There is a better way but it requires a mind shift from vengeance and punishment to rehabilitation and reintegration。 In this country that is so entwined with classism， racism and caste one can only hope that rational and caring minds might one day prevail。 The model for a better way is there。 。。。more

Steven May ，

Dr。 Montross describes the problems in our Americans prisons especially the phycological impact on individuals held in isolation。 The impact of poverty on people held in jail because they can’t make bail。 At times I got lost in the details， but the message was very clear。 Well worth the time spent reading。

Jo-jean Keller ，

The descriptions of life in America's prisons is heartbreaking and unforgettable。 I can close my eyes and almost feel the pain and suffering so many go through。 It seems impossible that anyone coming out of these conditions could be successful in integrating to life outside of prison。 Once you've read Waiting for an Echo， you'll never forget it。 Montross is brilliant and eloquent！ The descriptions of life in America's prisons is heartbreaking and unforgettable。 I can close my eyes and almost feel the pain and suffering so many go through。 It seems impossible that anyone coming out of these conditions could be successful in integrating to life outside of prison。 Once you've read Waiting for an Echo， you'll never forget it。 Montross is brilliant and eloquent！ 。。。more

Daniel ，

Oh， man。 This is the most tragic book， truly a story of the madness of incarceration。 As one can likely imagine， this is the story of the downward spiral of being poor and/or mentally ill and sucked into the world of incarceration， often for the tiniest of infractions， and never being able to recover。 There's the story of the pregnant woman who is told she is unable to take her soon-to-be-born baby home from the hospital unless she has a car seat。 Without any money to buy a car seat， she steals Oh， man。 This is the most tragic book， truly a story of the madness of incarceration。 As one can likely imagine， this is the story of the downward spiral of being poor and/or mentally ill and sucked into the world of incarceration， often for the tiniest of infractions， and never being able to recover。 There's the story of the pregnant woman who is told she is unable to take her soon-to-be-born baby home from the hospital unless she has a car seat。 Without any money to buy a car seat， she steals clothing to sell in order to buy the car seat。 She is arrested and is unable to pay the $100 bail （obviously， if she couldn't afford a car seat）， and she has her baby in prison。 There's the story of the man who is famished and eats his entire apple， core and all， and he receives negative marks on his prison record because the seeds have arsenic。 The next week， he spurns the apple because he doesn't want to risk punishment again， and he receives negative marks for "refusing to eat。" Mentally healthy prisoners are sent to solitary confinement， where their mental health declines， thus justifying their continued removal from the general population。 We think this is the only way to run prisons because its the only way we have done it in America。 But a trip to Norway and a visit to their prison shows there are alternatives that are win/win/win/win。。。 But the politics and industrial complex of the American systems are massive hurdles to change。 I like the author's conclusion: Well， now we know who shitty our system is。 We can only get better from here。 。。。more

Matt Holloway ，

Heartbreaking & well told。 The problem is even worse than you might think。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Incarceration

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Incarceration&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Waiting for an Echo: The Madness of American Incarceration&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0