Pleading Out

"Law professor and civil rights lawyer Dan Canon argues that an astounding 97 percent of cases in the United States are disposed of quickly and quietly with plea deals, rather than the jury trials most of us envision. Over the last 200 years, the criminal justice system has come to prioritize speed and volume above all else. The central question our courts ask is not whether justice is being done, but how they can more efficiently herd bodies through a reductive, inadequate, inhuman process. The result is a massive underclass of people who are restricted from voting, working, and otherwise participating in society. Pleading Out exposes the ugly truth about what's wrong with America's criminal justice system today-and provides a starting point for fixing it"--