Political Media Review » Prisoners

The Meaning of Freedom

politicalmediareview — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:10:00 +0000

Angela Davis has written and lectured extensively on a variety of historical, social, political, and economic issues.

Mad Bomber Melville

politicalmediareview — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:32:58 +0000

With the publication of Mad Bomber Melville, Leslie James Pickering has done a great service for those who—as he puts it—“can take inspiration from someone who was far from perfect but never gave up the struggle” (133). Pickering’s biography of Sam Melville does not seek to idolize its subject but is an honest effort to preserve an important history which holds challenging lessons for present day readers.

Abolition Democracy: Beyond Empire, Prisons and Torture

politicalmediareview — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 01:37:56 +0000

Angela Davis is an icon of the highest sense, an icon critical of their own iconic status. From her rise as a critical socio-political force in the late 1960’s to her still defiant role as an activist-academic, Davis is a great example of protracted struggle met with theory and praxis.

We Are Our Own Liberators: Select Writings by Jalil Muntaqim

politicalmediareview — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 04:26:02 +0000

Jalil Muntaqim (a.k.a. Anthony Bottom) was nineteen when he was sent to prison. He’ll turn 60 this year. He’s serving two concurrent sentences of 25 years to life.

The Culture of Punishment: Prison, Society and Spectacle

politicalmediareview — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:42:27 +0000

It is impossible to come in contact with commercial media and not be exposed to the specter of criminal justice as entertainment. Turn on the news and you can see car chases. Turn on afternoon fare and it is syndicated reality shows featuring people being chased down by police.

Snitching: Criminal Informants and the Erosion of American Justice

politicalmediareview — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:31:50 +0000

Incidents such as that of activist Brandon Darby informing on fellow activists, and the Tulia, Texas drug arrests scandal are but two examples of a trend that law enforcement has increasingly relied on as a method for policing, but which is increasingly returning disastrous results.

Humiliation, Abu Ghraib and the Failed Peace in Iraq

politicalmediareview — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:34:57 +0000

Victoria Fontan offers a fascinating perspective on the Iraq War and War on Terror, arguing that humiliation plays a key role in both. She starts with the premise that humiliation was instrumental in the shift from liberation to counterinsurgency in Iraq and, more generally, serves as the central rallying cry for fundamentalist terrorism across the globe.