Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America

Forman proposes community policing as an alternative to traditional policing measures like warrior policing. What is community policing and why does Forman believe it to be an effective alternative? Is he correct?

Why did David Clarke argue that decriminalizing marijuana was a racial justice and civil rights issue? What was Doug Moore’s rebuttal? Why did so many Black church leaders oppose decriminalization?

Discuss Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America in the context of contemporary social justice movements, such as BLM and M4BL. How do these movements align themselves with the key claims of Forman’s book? In what respects do they diverge from or disagree with Forman’s analysis?

How did the inclusion of Black police officers impact policing in the US? What role should diversity play in police reform? What impact can a diverse police force have on the communities they police?

Discuss the relationship between race and mandatory minimum sentences. Why did Black people and their leaders support mandatory minimums in the 1980s? Are there alternatives that reduce incarceration without sacrificing public safety?

How did the war on drugs and other tough-on-crime measures fuel mass incarceration? Why were poor Black people so strongly impacted?

How do violence and crime impact support for discriminatory policing practices? Should individual citizens have to surrender certain liberties to ensure public safety?

Can compassion and forgiveness feature more prominently in the criminal justice system without compromising public safety? How can mercy and second chances be incorporated into the criminal justice system?