This book was a quick and interesting read. I had no idea that inmates were once given plastic surgery as a means of preventing recidivism. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in nonfiction, the history of plastic surgery or just history in general as it was a fascinating read.

"Killer Looks: The Forgotten History of Plastic Surgery in Prisons" by Zara Stone is a compelling dive into a lesser-known aspect of both medical and criminal history. Stone's meticulous research and engaging storytelling shed light on the intriguing intersection of plastic surgery and the penal system. This book is a testament to Stone's dedication to unearthing forgotten narratives, making it a valuable read for those interested in the fascinating complexities of medical ethics and criminal justice.

What sets this book apart is Stone's ability to bring a forgotten era to life through vivid storytelling and well-researched accounts. She skillfully navigates through the historical and ethical implications of using plastic surgery as a tool within the prison system. Stone's narrative is both informative and thought-provoking, offering readers a unique perspective on the complex relationship between medicine, beauty, and criminality.

The inclusion of personal accounts and interviews adds a human element to the historical narrative. Stone's careful attention to detail and her ability to humanize the individuals involved in these surgical procedures create a deeply engaging reading experience. This human-centric approach allows readers to empathize with the complexities and moral dilemmas faced by both the prisoners and the medical professionals involved.

I was provided an advanced copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't able to complete this book, but, I can definitely say that from what I was able to read, this book is extremely interesting. I was shocked when I learned about how inmates could undergo cosmetic surgery while in prison and that it would be paid for by the government. Their theory was to change the man physically and that it would help change the man in other aspects as well. Since I wasn't able to complete the book on NetGalley, I will be purchasing this book and I look forward to learning even more about the surgeries that many inmates underwent during their time in prison and see how it impacted them and others.

Very interesting and enlightening read. Some of it felt a little disconnected but I enjoyed all the facts and story telling. One struggle I had and am unsure if it is only because of the NetGalley platform but the ebook was very touchy in changing the pages and the print was very small.

This was completely mind blowing to me. I had no idea any of this happened and I am telling everyone about it now. Unreal.

This was extremely interesting! I had no idea that these experiments took place on prisoners so recently. It interesting from a crime and psychology perspective.

A very fascinating look about a very niche topic in history. I saw the topic and knew I had to read it. I was interested in plastic surgery in prisons, but it was interesting to learn about the various barriers to recidivism that are common place then and now in our country. Very interesting read.

Killer Looks
by Zara Stone
Pub Date: October 26, 2021
Prometheus

Thanks to Prometheus and NetGalley for the chance to read the ARC of this book!
Killer Looks is the definitive story about the long-forgotten practice of providing free nose jobs, face-lifts, breast implants, and other physical alterations to prisoners, the idea being that by remodeling the face you remake the man. From the 1920s up to the mid-1990s, half a million prison inmates across America, Canada, and the U.K willingly went under the knife, their tab picked up by the government.
Wow! This practice is something I never knew of. This book is thoroughly researched by Zara Stone and I really enjoyed reading this book.
4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Roman and Littlefield for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Killer Looks is about a program that started in the 60s where the idea was posed that if the prisoners were given an opportunity to improve their looks when they leave prison would the rate of recidivism reduce? The doctors would perform plastic surgery on them and fix broken noses, lift fallen chins, smooth out scars, remove tattoos and so forth.
The book was interesting as I never heard of this before. So it was interesting to read about their process and the political backlash they came up against.

On its surface, this book is about plastic surgery in prisons, but really it ends up being a much more thorough exploration into the research on effective rehabilitation practices in jails/prisons. At the end of the day, our prison systems are really just perpetuating the conditions that put people in prison in the first place, and this book has the receipts. Admittedly, there are a lot of asides into broader psychological perspectives on beauty and ugliness, which I personally could have lived without. The book tries to cover too much, and kind of loses its punchiness as a result.

I did not know about the practice, through most of the 20th century, of offering plastic surgery to over half a million (mostly male) inmates in order to rehabilitate them/make it easier for them to reintegrate after release. That’s about what I can say for this book, which is roughly chronological, occasionally anachronistic (there were no “red states” and “blue states” in the 1950s), and somewhat digressive though understandably so in its discussion of the evidence of how physical attractiveness—both racialized and within racial categories—affects how a person is treated. Stone attributes the elimination of most programs to a combination of punitiveness/anti-“free stuff” for prisoners attitudes; unwarranted denigration of rehabilitation as a concept; and concerns about experimentation on prisoners, since many surgeons practiced on inmates. I did learn that prisoners have almost five times as many head injuries as nonprisoners, and that facial trauma accounts for 1/3 of inmate ER visits, compared to 0.7% for the general population.

This is a fascinating book about the history of the little known plastic surgery that was performed in the prison system. This was done starting in the 1920s in order to help prisoners improve their appearance in order to be able to better obtain jobs and to boost their self-confidence. It included removing scars, fixing broken or flattened noses, repairing deformities, breast implants, among many others. It improved the rate of recidivism for many prisoners.

There was once a ditty posted by a reporter who was amused by the practice:
"Handsome does as handsome is becomes a newer guide. And criminals to be reformed must first be beautified."

The book goes into a lot of areas on lookism, showing bias toward black and brown skinned people when it comes to jobs and being convicted of crime. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Zara Stone, and the publisher.

This book was great, there was clearly a lot of research done while writing the book. It was a great read, the subject was very interesting

Very unusual content. Amazing, never before revealed scheme by the government to improve the looks of ex cons by giving them face lifts. What an idea! It's a bizarre book but it's well written and if the idea grabs you, you will be entertained by this strange account.
Apparently, the good new looks didn't curb the lawbreaking though, so this scheme, which had a life of about 75 years, was discontinued around the 70s and 80s. Nice of them though. Just rob a bank, do your time and erase ten years off your life and start all over again! Law abiding citizens have to pay through the nose for it!