Let's Get Free - A Hip-Hop Theory of Justice

Drawing on his personal fascinating story as a prosecutor, a defendant, and an observer of the legal process, Paul Butler offers a sharp and engaging critique of our criminal justice system. He argues against discriminatory drug laws and excessive police power and shows how our policy of mass incarceration erodes communities and perpetuates crime. Controversially, he supports jury nullificationor voting not guilty out of principleas a way for everyday people to take a stand against unfair laws, and he joins with the Stop Snitching movement, arguing that the reliance on informants leads to shoddy police work and distrust within communities. Butler offers instead a hip hop theory of justice, parsing the messages about crime and punishment found in urban music and culture. Butlers argument is powerful, edgy, and incisive.