You all know how much I love books about the criminal justice system, so when I saw Manifesting Justice was written by Valena Beety, the founder and former Director of the West Virginia Innocence Project, I knew it was a “must read”.

I have so many thoughts that I’m not sure where to begin, but above all else: READ THIS BOOK!

If you want to understand why and how the criminal “justice” system is not fair and just, especially to women and BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities: read this book. If you want to know more about wrongful conviction: read this book. If you want to see proposed solutions on how we can start to overhaul our criminal justice system: read this book.

I’ve read a lot of books about the criminal justice system that covered similar topics. BUT, this is the first book I’ve read that is focused on women.

Manifesting Justice is such an important book, and I can’t stress enough how much everyone should read it. I’ll never stop taking about the phenomenal work of organizations like The Innocence Project and The Equal Justice Initiative.

Side note: I also recommend watching The Innocence Files on Netflix, especially if you want to learn more about Dr. West.

Huge thanks to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for the #gifted copy! This one comes out on 5/31!

Manifesting Justice follows the story of two women's innocence and horrifying wrongful conviction. Along the way, Beety addresses similar cases and laws that used junk science, racial bias, gender bias, class bias, and more to wrongly convict innocent individuals.

I did not realize how little I understood about the legal system until I read this book. What I learned was terrifying and infuriating. Beety skillfully lays out the stockpile of ethical issues with the current state of "justice". I was in a constant state of shock through most of this book; it shined a bright light on privilege and the continued oppression of marginalized individuals, whether queer or differently abled or bipoc.

Sometimes it was difficult to get through sections due to the copious legal jargon, but don't let this deter you from picking up this book!

Read this book if you are interested in learning more about:
• bias in the U.S. legal system
• Innocence Projects and how to reverse wrongful convictions
• restorative justice and other alternatives to incarceration


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4617076857?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1