Consider this:

• The U.S. incarcerates 1.8 million people, the highest per capita in the world.
• The U.S. spends twice as much on crime and punishment as it does on social services.
• By contrast, countries like Finland focus on rehabilitation, education, job training, and personal growth. Their incarceration rates are among the lowest in the world.

In Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change, Chicago author Ben Austen reveals the devastating truth about America’s justice system: it erases people. Extreme sentences like “200–400 years” treat human beings as incapable of change, ignoring the reality of personal growth and redemption.

The U.S. could release nearly every incarcerated person over 55 with no significant increase in crime; instead, it locks them away indefinitely. Why? Because American prisons are designed to punish, not reform.

In Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change, Austen delves deeply into the history of mass incarceration in America.

What makes Austen’s work so powerful is his ability to bring this issue to life through the real stories of people who have been imprisoned. By weaving personal narratives with historical context, Austen not only exposes the injustices of our current system but also highlights the humanity of those it impacts. He asks the urgent question: What is prison actually accomplishing?

This book is a must-read for anyone who cares about justice, second chances, and the urgent need for prison reform.