In her debut nonfiction book, Dereka Purnell, an organizer, lawyer & writer, offers a bold & provocative stance: Ending police and prison violence through an abolitionist framework. Purnell addresses this hot-button topic with historical assessment and her own activist experiences.

Purnell's passionate about her believes, but also honest about how they originated. What's refreshing about Purnell is how, through reading and experience, her own critical assessments of our country and its justice system have changed over time. While controversial, Purnell's beliefs are rooted in her own experiences on the ground in Ferguson, MI during the post-Michael-Brown protests and her extensive travel around the globe to learn how other countries address justice. She doesn't just say, "Don't do this," or "Let's end this." After discussing the history of police violence against Black people and their mass incarcerations, she also assesses how the "fixes" our government has implemented--police dept. reform (and its cost to taxpayers), the jailing of police (when it actually does happen), and use of body cameras--work..or don't. All in all her suggestions--and the process through which she came to them--are very detailed, supported, and intriguing. Her writing is conversational yet her passion for this subject absolutely comes through.

If you're interested in reading about bold ideas about and historical assessment of social justice issues, this book is a great resource.