In Their Names: The Untold Story of Victims’ Rights, Mass Incarceration, and the Future of Public Safety

Anderson, the founder of the Alliance for Safety and Justice, debuts with a passionate and provocative indictment of how the victims’ rights movement has warped the American justice system. Contending that victims’ rights laws are a product of political expediency and opportunism, not sound policy, Anderson claims that they’ve contributed to mass incarceration by encouraging courts and prosecutors to value punishment over rehabilitation and police departments to “pay more attention to drug possessors than to rape survivors in communities of color.” She credibly debunks public safety “myths” foundational to the victims’ rights moment, including the notions that putting more people in prison translates into less crime and that “tough drug sentencing” is an effective deterrent. Her suggestions for reform include legislation to provide funds for victims as well as inmate rehabilitation programs, the implementation of community-based public safety initiatives, and more mental health resources. Throughout, Anderson documents harrowing miscarriages of justice and expresses heartfelt compassion for victims, inmates, and their families. The result is a lucid road map for a more humane criminal justice system. (Nov.)