Reviews

Free Them All: A Feminist Call to Abolish the Prison System by Gwénola Ricordeau, Gwénola Ricordeau

lattelibrarian's review

challenging informative medium-paced

4.5

WOW what a book!! This was so incredibly informative and just what I needed to answer my questions and curiosities about abolition. A hard 100% agree that 99% of incarceration is just absolute bull, and the other 1% can benefit from other trauma-informed and community-focused initiatives.

What I found most interesting was the chapter about the women left behind after a husband, boyfriend, or son is incarcerated. They must come up with a bigger paycheck, pay bail, pay for food and supplies within the prison, and deal with stigma. Abolition IS feminism and a very specific kind of feminism that empowers a very specific group of people--and a specific group that deserves more kindness and fairness.

ohmyyylaurd's review against another edition

3.0

I was excited to see Free Them All available on Netgalley as I had it on my TBR.

Free Them All provides an insightful and in depth analysis of the prison and justice system. I had very high hopes for this, as I find the addition of feminist theory to be incredibly important, but I was a bit let down as the book acted more as an overview and at times felt like I was reading a thesis.

I would suggest this book for anyone interested in learning more about abolition but as someone who reads a lot on this subject, this book reiterated a lot of information that is used largely in other texts. I did enjoy having an international perspective (France) since most work tends to focus on the United States.

njderoche's review

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

4.75

This book gave me a whole new perspective on abolition. This was also one of the first books I read from an international perspective, touching on movements in the US, yes, but also in France and Canada. The chapters on the impact the criminal justice system has on women outside of prison were very impactful. There was also good information on how women are treated differently when sentenced and inside. I would’ve liked to hear more stories from various women who have taken on additional burdens from the outside. Definitely a must read for people looking to expand their understanding of abolition. 

mad_taylh's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

"When the media discusses prison, however, they tend to focus more on the people who live off it (the prison staff and the social workers, the 'experts,' and the nonprofit organizations) than those who live it (incarcerated people and, in their own way, their relatives and friends)."

tuesday_evening's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

mfrost's review against another edition

3.0

As someone who is passionate about the toxicity of the prison system and feminism, my expectations for this book were reasonably high. Though, I found I was a bit disappointed. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't known several of the topics and statistics the author discussed. Overall, I felt underwhelmed; the book felt more like a general overview than a piece that went further than the surface level to explore the topics associated with the connections between feminism, social justice, and prison. I wanted the author to delve more into their arguments and use their facts to back up their claims.

If you want to dip your toe into the prison/social justice discussion water, this book is perfect for you.