To hasten the homecoming Book

Cogently explains why American crime policies are so barbarous and ineffective, compared to other Western nations, and compared to our own nation in other eras. The gist: cultural sensibilities swing on a pendulum, and so do crime trends. In the late 20th century, the former swung to a point of fear/insecurity just as crime trends peaked. Add to the mix opportunistic politicians, politically vulnerable judges/prosecutors, and bloodthirsty media -- you get moral panics that produce crazy punitive laws.

I had to read this for research. The style is clear and mercifully concise, and the content is backed by good data and references.