Book Review: Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice by Adam Benforado

Can your physical appearance determine your treatment in the criminal justice system?

Can your medical condition determine your treatment in the criminal justice system?

Does your race, income and appearance determine your treatment in the criminal justice system?

Adam Benforado is an associate law professor who explores not only the inherent prejudices, but the why and how these prejudices can determine the outcome of a criminal case in Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice. He uses data, neuroscience, scientific research and a detailed review of criminal cases of people from all races, income and appearance to illustrate the systemic problems in the criminal justice system.

Equal Treatment For All?

Ideally and theoretically all are treated equally when entering the criminal justice system. Then there is the stark reality to consider.

The criminal justice system has many cogs in the proverbial wheel and each cog must be responsible and proficient in their profession  in order for a person to be treated fairly as they travel through the entire system. Consider the number of people one person encounters from an alleged crime to a trial; what are the chances each professional who works on your case directly and indirectly is a consummate impartial professional?

The Inherent Prejudices Which Bind

Adam Benforado delves into the intricacies of the human mind in relation to the professional roles in the criminal justice system. How and why are people bias? What role does memory, interpretation of ‘facts’, slant, perception, prejudice and impartiality play in the system?

The prejudices may be obvious, hidden or more than likely an inherent prejudice from within which is unique to each individual. How these prejudices then play out in the criminal justice system to affect the outcome of a case are detailed,  reviewed and analyzed. In Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice the reader is taken on a scientific exploration through the system and left with the question of how are the problems solved?

Solutions To The Problems

While the criminal justice system seems as a whole to be an unmanageable machine of many untamed parts, the author does offer logical, realistic and concrete reforms to begin addressing the inherent flaws of the criminal justice system. The solutions are chronicled with details and research as to the flaws which need to be changed along with the how and why change is necessary.

Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice by Adam Benforado is disheartening, disconcerting and sobering. I suspect the premise is one most would find agreement with from their own knowledge of the system; it is the surgical exploration of the facts versus the unintended outcomes which reinforces the reality that change is imminently necessary and overdue.

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an unbiased review.