Hello, all! I recently watched Unlocked on Netflix. (A docuseries about a sheriff implementing an experiment in a jail and giving prisoners more agency) It got me thinking more about the psychology/sociology aspects of people who commit crimes. While I’m familiar with the major reasons, I’d like to learn more about it. Looking for some good books talking about this or about how crimes could be prevented in the future. Also would be interested in any good books talking about psychology or sociology relating to people in prison.
Thank you!
by TheWisestPotato
2 Comments
The Gift of Fear takes it from the perspective of victims but also talks about criminal signs and motivations.
I would also generally advise that a lot of writing about crime and crime prevention comes from research studies that have been debunked or are inaccurately summarized by other writers. Definitely an area to do some searching on if you want thorough information.
*Chasing The Scream* goes into the history and origins of the war on drugs, which inevitably leads to discussions of addiction and incarceration. While it’s not necessarily about criminality in the sense you’re requesting, it does cover quite a bit of related phenomena and explains so much about why the system operates the way it does, and why the people trapped in it respond the way they do.
In my opinion, it reads more like a novel than a work of non fiction. As a former drug addict who has seen the effects of the war on drugs up close, I found it to be cathartic in its validation of my experiences, as well as utterly infuriating.