Nonfiction

Halfway Home: Race, Punishment, and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration

Halfway Home: Race, Punishment, and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration

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  • Create Date：2021-05-25 07:16:10
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Reuben Jonathan Miller
  • ISBN：0316451517
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Summary

As heard on NPR’s Fresh Air


A “persuasive and essential” （Matthew Desmond） work that will forever change how we look at life after prison in America through Miller’s “stunning， and deeply painful reckoning with our nation’s carceral system” （Heather Ann Thompson）

Each year， more than half a million Americans are released from prison and join a population of twenty million people who live with a felony record。
 
Reuben Miller， a chaplain at the Cook County Jail in Chicago and now a sociologist studying mass incarceration， spent years alongside prisoners， ex-prisoners， their friends， and their families to understand the lifelong burden that even a single arrest can entail。 What his work revealed is a simple， if overlooked truth: life after incarceration is its own form of prison。 The idea that one can serve their debt and return to life as a full-fledge member of society is one of America’s most nefarious myths。 Recently released individuals are faced with jobs that are off-limits， apartments that cannot be occupied and votes that cannot be cast。
 
As The Color of Law exposed about our understanding of housing segregation， Halfway Home shows that the American justice system was not created to rehabilitate。 Parole is structured to keep classes of Americans impoverished， unstable， and disenfranchised long after they’ve paid their debt to society。
 
Informed by Miller’s experience as the son and brother of incarcerated men， captures the stories of the men， women， and communities fighting against a system that is designed for them to fail。 It is a poignant and eye-opening call to arms that reveals how laws， rules， and regulations extract a tangible cost not only from those working to rebuild their lives， but also our democracy。 As Miller searchingly explores， America must acknowledge and value the lives of its formerly imprisoned citizens。
 

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Reviews

Scott McKenzie ，

Five word review: Indictment of American justice system

Ember McCoy ，

Incredibly powerful， informative， and personal narrative on mass incarceration in the US。 I started this book for a class and expected it to be more dense or dry， like some academic texts can be， but I was SO impressed by how it read。 Miller does a great job putting his “academic” research into a compelling， accessible narrative that holds the reader while weaving in important theory， history， and personal narrative。 A must read — compliments Just Mercy well。 I can only hope a book that I write Incredibly powerful， informative， and personal narrative on mass incarceration in the US。 I started this book for a class and expected it to be more dense or dry， like some academic texts can be， but I was SO impressed by how it read。 Miller does a great job putting his “academic” research into a compelling， accessible narrative that holds the reader while weaving in important theory， history， and personal narrative。 A must read — compliments Just Mercy well。 I can only hope a book that I write as an academic will be this good one today！ 。。。more

Faith Fox ，

I learned as I finished the name of the style this was written in - narrative nonfiction （as another example， see Evicted）。 It was compelling。 He traces the way that mass incarceration follows him around even though he was born a poor Black child who broke into the middle class。 He uses as additional illustrations many formerly incarcerated people who now work as advocates， living respectable lives but still held down in part by the shackles that remain after being released from the cage。 I can' I learned as I finished the name of the style this was written in - narrative nonfiction （as another example， see Evicted）。 It was compelling。 He traces the way that mass incarceration follows him around even though he was born a poor Black child who broke into the middle class。 He uses as additional illustrations many formerly incarcerated people who now work as advocates， living respectable lives but still held down in part by the shackles that remain after being released from the cage。 I can't quite put my finger on what made it such a compelling read。 。。。more

Jrs ，

This is not scholarship; instead， this work is autobiographical with moments of insightful observation。 Dr。 Miller disappoints because the reader has to deal with an “in my shoes” narrative: one in which opinion and experience seem to trump exposition。 Although chapters seven through nine are engaging they do not save this very personal work。

Jean ，

More documentation of how completely messed up our “justice” system is。

Kasey Lawson ，

“To fully understand mass incarceration， we must go to the neighborhoods that hemmed them in long before they occupied cages， the same places that serve as their confines for years after they return。 We must wait with them for a space to open in the halfway house or in the shelter， because the laws and policies that the US government has enacted ensure there is no place for them to go。 We must sit in the homes of the parents， lovers， and children who share their burdens。 And we must march with t “To fully understand mass incarceration， we must go to the neighborhoods that hemmed them in long before they occupied cages， the same places that serve as their confines for years after they return。 We must wait with them for a space to open in the halfway house or in the shelter， because the laws and policies that the US government has enacted ensure there is no place for them to go。 We must sit in the homes of the parents， lovers， and children who share their burdens。 And we must march with the formerly incarcerated as they resist the slow death of hunger and cold。” “James Baldwin says one writes from experience。 Nina Simone tells us that it is the artist’s obligation to address the times in which she lives。 It seems to me that sitting with history， allowing myself to be moved by it， and finding myself within is is the only way to capture what it means to be alive。 To write this book in a way that is faithful to my own life and the lives of the men and women I followed and to the sacrifices of my family， especially my grandmother who gave me so much， I have taken James and Nina as muses。 I write from my experience as a scholar， as an advocate， and as a man with loved ones who have spent time in prison。” 。。。more

Linda Swoyer ，

Thought provoking and informative。 This book challenges the reader to see the humanity in people our society has learned to fear and loathe。 It challenges our ideas of redemption and rehabilitation。 When has a debt been paid？ When has a person paid a high enough price to return to their place in society？

Kate ，

Social science look at the impacts of incarceration （and even arrest without conviction）。 Looks at the situation wholestically and through personal stories， rather than just facts and figures。 A more compelling presentation than charts and statistics。

Connie Kuntz ，

Compassionate， truthful， surprising， disturbing， depressing and clarifying writing。 The author jumps around a bit， e。g。， sometimes it’s the year 2020 and a paragraph later we’re back in 2015。 And one minute we’re in Chicago and the next somewhere in Michigan。 But once I realized his style is a reflection of how utterly non-linear incarceration， parole and life after incarceration is for prisoners and their families， I started to learn and change and work on building my own compassion。 I’m very g Compassionate， truthful， surprising， disturbing， depressing and clarifying writing。 The author jumps around a bit， e。g。， sometimes it’s the year 2020 and a paragraph later we’re back in 2015。 And one minute we’re in Chicago and the next somewhere in Michigan。 But once I realized his style is a reflection of how utterly non-linear incarceration， parole and life after incarceration is for prisoners and their families， I started to learn and change and work on building my own compassion。 I’m very grateful to have first heard about this book on NPR （holla Terry Gross！） and then have made time to read this important book。 I don’t think I will ever be as compassionate as the author， but I know I can grow and learn from his example。 Highly recommend。 。。。more

Danielle Locks ，

This was a necessary wake-up call for the privileged space I exist in。 I knew our jails and prisons in the US were a broken system， but I didn't understand the extent to which they are broken。 This was a necessary wake-up call for the privileged space I exist in。 I knew our jails and prisons in the US were a broken system， but I didn't understand the extent to which they are broken。 。。。more

CathyAyn ，

Very interesting vantage point。 Definitely worth hearing。At points the narrative felt long/redundant。

Tim Ozinga ，

Definitely worth a read， popular book by a knowledgeable person on race and incarceration， I did not agree with all of his conclusions but I learned some things and recommend this book

Joey Valdez ，

A deeply personal & powerful read on the overwhelming lives that formerly incarcerated individuals and their families experience due to the hundreds of laws and restrictions that shape what it means to have a record in this country。 This book gets much closer to the lived experience of mass incarceration than more macro-level， historical books like The New Jim Crow and others。 I also highly recommend reading the appendix， "The Gift of Proximity，" for anyone interested in or working in the social A deeply personal & powerful read on the overwhelming lives that formerly incarcerated individuals and their families experience due to the hundreds of laws and restrictions that shape what it means to have a record in this country。 This book gets much closer to the lived experience of mass incarceration than more macro-level， historical books like The New Jim Crow and others。 I also highly recommend reading the appendix， "The Gift of Proximity，" for anyone interested in or working in the social sciences。 。。。more

Louis ，

。The 401，288 state prisoners released in 2005 had an estimated 1，994，000 arrests over the next nine years， an average of five arrests per released prisoner， according to a 2018 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics。 This may be the land of second chances， but for guys （and gals） getting out， it’s bad news。 But how do you say this to someone locked in 5 x 7 cell 23 hours out of 24？ Maybe you don't， but still， no matter how many Art Awards， “Certificates of Completion，” and A-pluses in Emotio 。The 401，288 state prisoners released in 2005 had an estimated 1，994，000 arrests over the next nine years， an average of five arrests per released prisoner， according to a 2018 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics。 This may be the land of second chances， but for guys （and gals） getting out， it’s bad news。 But how do you say this to someone locked in 5 x 7 cell 23 hours out of 24？ Maybe you don't， but still， no matter how many Art Awards， “Certificates of Completion，” and A-pluses in Emotional Intelligence a prisoner earns， the system could care less。 As a volunteer teacher behind the walls， I used to have more hope—that I was doing something substantial in helping people re-launch。 In the end， some guys may have learned to tell their stories in more impactful ways， but who’s going to listen？ The fact is a society just doesn’t want to take people back。 The self-help industry is huge， inside and outside of prison。 We all learn to think and grow rich。 Prisoners learn they can manage their anger by thinking of a happy place。 But when the 1% are running the show， what difference does fake a positive attitude and a firm handshake really make？ When Professor Miller’s brother came out of prison， he was only halfway home。 Despite Miller’s devotion and multiple interventions， an arrest and a return to prison were almost inevitable。 There was so much red tape and restrictions， humiliations， and rejections built into the system you could lay bets on it。 Miller assembled a research team to test the conclusions drawn from his brother’s experience。 Was that struggle to go from halfway to fully home simply the exception？ Hardly。 It was the rule。 Clearly， if we are to reimagine justice， it’s not so much about prisoners and former prisoners changing for the better。 It’s the rules themselves。 。。。more

Julie ，

I found this book very moving and eye-opening。 It deals with critical， contemporary issues related to incarceration， especially focused on the lives of those after and their families。 There's so much about our system that needs fixed and the author does a great job bringing it to light。 Reading how these conditions and laws affect people by being presented real stories gives the reader a deeper connection。 I found this book very moving and eye-opening。 It deals with critical， contemporary issues related to incarceration， especially focused on the lives of those after and their families。 There's so much about our system that needs fixed and the author does a great job bringing it to light。 Reading how these conditions and laws affect people by being presented real stories gives the reader a deeper connection。 。。。more

Amona ，

Absolutely wonderfully written。 Heartfelt with a helpful awareness of the suppressive systems in place。 The transitioning period for formally incarcerated people of color is a fragile time which requires understanding， compassion and structures in place to lower or eliminate recidivism。

Gaby Chapman ，

The disfunction of our "justice" system told through the stories of those trying to reenter society after getting out of prison。 The disfunction of our "justice" system told through the stories of those trying to reenter society after getting out of prison。 。。。more

Jenn ，

Unflinching look at how hard it is for people released from prison to rejoin society and why so many end up back in the system。 The author’s educational， work and personal experience with the prison system gives this book a very intimate touch。

Shana ，

After hearing Professor Miller speak at a Luskin Forum virtual event， I looked u his book。 This book very clearly and in patient detail uses the research， interviewed formerly incarcerated people （ie felons）， and stories from his own life to lay out most notably the arduous， excruciating， and burdensome obstacles of individuals - disproportionately Black in the US - after being released from prison whether on parole or completely free。 even when they were never guilty of the crime for which they After hearing Professor Miller speak at a Luskin Forum virtual event， I looked u his book。 This book very clearly and in patient detail uses the research， interviewed formerly incarcerated people （ie felons）， and stories from his own life to lay out most notably the arduous， excruciating， and burdensome obstacles of individuals - disproportionately Black in the US - after being released from prison whether on parole or completely free。 even when they were never guilty of the crime for which they were imprisoned。 And when they are addicts， the requirements of sobriety programs are daily ， basically they re often kept out of housing， kept out of jobs， and when they can get housing， it must be approved， and for a job the hours cannot interfere with the parole check-in requirements。 His brother wanted to drive trucks， went through the certification process， but then was denied the right to accept the job he was offered because he would be required to cross state lines driving a truck， and he needed to stay in his state （forever？ for many years？） he had to take a minimum wage job in a tortilla factory instead。The parolee is forbidden from associating with known felons ， and a whole host of other people which basically means it's possible they cannot go back to their home neighborhoods at all。。on and on。 As far as the courts， he has an interesting discussion of the history of our "voluntary confession" culture， as well as legal fees， and， the role of plea deals， repeat offenders etc。He doesn't prescribe a lot of solutions， but points to the need for a support system， and "a favor economy" and throws doubt on the ability of felons to bear the burden of changing themselves alone once out when clearly the system has a lot of problems。The main takeaways are: having a loved one in prison， is stressful， costly and a huge emotional stress on families。 Stay out of prison！ Also， if people who have served their sentences still have so many of their rights as citizens abrogated or denied， how CAN they do their punishment and move on？ Also， don't get addicted to drugs！He does not judge the subjects who break the law， he does point out the burden of many laws， rules， regulations etc。For the 50% of us Americans who do NOT know someone in prison （or has been imprisoned？） this gives a lot of food for thought。 I would rate this a5 if there were some practical solutions proposed。 。。。more

Jen ，

Good book tracking multiple individuals after they get out of jail/prison。 It’s pretty daunting to see the amount of restrictions of housing and jobs after the punishment is served。 The author brings up some very valid points and anecdotes to make the reader consider how the US runs its prison system。

Becca Miserlian ，

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 This was a really eye-opening look at the way a criminal record continues to limit peoples' opportunities even long after they are released。 I enjoyed the author's inclusion of his own experiences and perspectives in the book as well。 I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 This was a really eye-opening look at the way a criminal record continues to limit peoples' opportunities even long after they are released。 I enjoyed the author's inclusion of his own experiences and perspectives in the book as well。 。。。more

Gerry ，

Miller is a Black man who grew up in poverty on Chicago's South Side。 His father， whom he barely knew， was imprisoned， as were his brothers and many extended family members and neighbors。 A professor at the University of Chicago's School of Social Work， Miller knows the prison system deeply， both from his own family's experiences and from the several hundred former prisoners who shared their lives with him in his research into life after incarceration。 "Former prisoners" is actually a misnomer; Miller is a Black man who grew up in poverty on Chicago's South Side。 His father， whom he barely knew， was imprisoned， as were his brothers and many extended family members and neighbors。 A professor at the University of Chicago's School of Social Work， Miller knows the prison system deeply， both from his own family's experiences and from the several hundred former prisoners who shared their lives with him in his research into life after incarceration。 "Former prisoners" is actually a misnomer; most convicts remain prisoners even after their release， bound by a web of laws and policies that regulate where they can live， work， travel; with whom they can associate; and in what activities they can engage。 Halfway Home is an eye-opening exposition of the separate society our system of mass incarceration has created for so many poor and Black people， a system that essentially removes them from full citizenship， and does more to cause recidivism than to rehabilitate。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Janet ，

The author was fantastic in interviews on Teri Gross and Big Brains， but it was valuable to read the book。 Many of my patients in the out-patient psychiatric clinic in a large city hospital have incarceration histories and until I read this book， I didn't appreciate the additional hurdles they have had to face。 The author was fantastic in interviews on Teri Gross and Big Brains， but it was valuable to read the book。 Many of my patients in the out-patient psychiatric clinic in a large city hospital have incarceration histories and until I read this book， I didn't appreciate the additional hurdles they have had to face。 。。。more

Matthew Chua ，

A deeply personal， ethnographic work on the said topic。 Easy to read， painful to feel， that an alternate reality exists for American citizens who once ran afoul of the law that keeps them pinned down。 While the author provides no clear plan or treatment for the woes faced by the real protganoists of the book， the realness of his story， and his poetic meditations on interactions and realities， awaken the readers to a harsh reality of race， discrimination， incarceration， and a crushinwaste of huma A deeply personal， ethnographic work on the said topic。 Easy to read， painful to feel， that an alternate reality exists for American citizens who once ran afoul of the law that keeps them pinned down。 While the author provides no clear plan or treatment for the woes faced by the real protganoists of the book， the realness of his story， and his poetic meditations on interactions and realities， awaken the readers to a harsh reality of race， discrimination， incarceration， and a crushinwaste of human potential。 This is a must read for anyone who loves America and wants a better tomorrow for its people。 。。。more

Sally ，

Whew。 There is SO much injustice with the police and court system。 So Much。It is a loose loose situation for the disadvantaged who are trapped by the system。It does help explain why there is a homeless crisis - and Bill Clinton plays a large role - ouch。

Donald Powell ，

An emotionally moving book about mass incarceration and our criminal justice system's interaction with the rest of our culture。 This book， both personal and systemic， does not provide new information but it does wrap it into a logical and compelling argument to re-think the entire system to make citizenship about belonging。 A very important book during this time of necessary paradigm shift。 An emotionally moving book about mass incarceration and our criminal justice system's interaction with the rest of our culture。 This book， both personal and systemic， does not provide new information but it does wrap it into a logical and compelling argument to re-think the entire system to make citizenship about belonging。 A very important book during this time of necessary paradigm shift。 。。。more

Hayley DeRoche ，

As a foster parent dedicated to advocating for mercy and social justice within the system， I surprisingly didn't pick up this book knowing Miller's past work includes working with foster youth; I was picking up the book to read around the topic of mass incarceration hoping to put puzzle pieces together myself， and Miller surprised me by doing that work for me， in essence。 Lightfooted and skilled in narrative voice， this book is both well-researched and a fast easy nonfiction read （perhaps not as As a foster parent dedicated to advocating for mercy and social justice within the system， I surprisingly didn't pick up this book knowing Miller's past work includes working with foster youth; I was picking up the book to read around the topic of mass incarceration hoping to put puzzle pieces together myself， and Miller surprised me by doing that work for me， in essence。 Lightfooted and skilled in narrative voice， this book is both well-researched and a fast easy nonfiction read （perhaps not as far as subject matter goes， but it is definitely not an academic slog， as other books about this topic can sometimes be）。 I heartily recommend it。 。。。more

Johnett ，

Never read a book on this subject from this perspective。 Interesting to consider all the complications that living with an incarcerated person （or even a formerly incarcerated person） in your family sphere brings。 Solid， well-documented， and not lacking in heart; I appreciated this read very much。

Louis Postel ，

Miller weaves his own story into this study which makes it that much more compelling。

Eric ，

A wonderful compilation of many of the problems of re-entering society as a convicted felon with very little in the way of corrective measures。 I would pose that we all know there are significant problems but few have devised an effective correction deterring crime or making victims whole。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Halfway Home: Race, Punishment, and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Halfway Home: Race, Punishment, and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Halfway Home: Race, Punishment, and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0