Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice

Audiobook veteran Barrett brings his raspy voice and knack for accentuating emotional nuance in his delivery to the new title from legal scholar Benforado. The book uncovers a wide range of scientific findings that reveal rampant bias in the United States justice system, particularly emphasizing how processes and systems tied to a punitive punishment approach make the streets less—rather than more—safe from crime. Benforado minces no words in his harsh view of the predominant American perspectives—compared with other Western industrialized democracies—regarding such matters as the police, courts, and prisons; Barrett’s animated narration stays consistent with the tenor of this hard-hitting message. Barrett provides an especially effective whimsical and sardonic tone in rendering Benforado’s historical overview of the retribution model of law and order, highlighting such baffling primitive practices as murder trials for animals, something that is compared to the nation’s recent track record of jailing the mentally ill and addicted populations instead of providing access to medical treatment. A Crown hardcover. (June)