Abstract
Steve Herbert, department chair and professor of Law, Societies and Justice at the University of Washington, delivered Too Easy to Keep with exceptional care and consideration. Even the title itself is a direct link to the main argument of the book: People sentenced to life without parole (LWOPs) have spent so much time in prison that their life has a daily routine, and they provide no disruption to the facility. They are truly the “easy keepers.” This directly relates to the main question. If they are truly so easy to keep, should we be keeping them? Herbert seeks to answer this question by interviewing 21 inmates and 27 staff members in two Washington State facilities. The semistructured interviews delve deeper into finding out what helps and hinders inmates sentenced to life find meaning and purpose and how staff members perceive the benefits and challenges of keeping these “lifers.” Herbert argues the retribution policies maintained in the United States are implemented without consideration of the consequences of long-term imprisonment, and these policies warrant reconsideration. Retribution and mercy should not be mutually exclusive, especially when crime trends are on the decline and the only incarceration rates increasing are the LWOPs.
Herbert’s work delivers an easy and captivating read. The book reads chronologically from the perspective of inmates’ growth and increasing systemic issues. It is divided into an introduction followed by four chapters, each outlining a different aspect of inmate life. The setup of each chapter is clear; the outline at the beginning of each chapter provides an insight into the chapter content, while the conclusion in each chapter helps link the message back to the main arguments. Herbert’s work adeptly challenges current incarceration policies by providing anecdotes that are often touching, humorous, and shed light on the usually obscure life in prison. The narratives provide good examples of the personal transformations of LWOPs, interpersonal relationships, and the hardships experienced by both inmates and staff. Each story expertly highlights and adds to the argument calling for policy change.
In the introduction, Herbert clearly sets up the framework of the work. Herbert takes great care to ensure the reader is aware of the motivation of the work and provides the reader with enough information to understand the rationale. Chapters 1 and 2 outline the journey LWOPs usually experience while in prison, starting with attitudinal changes in the early years and ending with challenges LWOPs face. Chapter 3 furthers the conversation on issues inmates increasingly face as they age and the challenges this poses to staff within prisons. The final chapter is a call to action. The finding that many LWOPs experience personal transformations that make them into easy keepers deserves recognition. Herbert states that these transformations should lead to changes within prisons, within people, and within policies.
Given the adamant proposition of policy change, the narrative can appear somewhat repetitive. Stressing the difficulties of life in prison at an elderly age is a common theme. Paired with these difficulties are the themes of personal growth, wanting to atone for crimes, and an everlasting hope for creating a meaningful life. Therefore, it may appear as if similar stories are utilized for similar points throughout. However, it is noticeable Herbert takes tremendous care in outlining his argument and frames his work in such a way the reader’s attention never falters. Herbert’s call for policy change is clear, and the political context of the book is emphasized throughout. Too Easy to Keep maintains a humanizing element that is important to both the subjects of the research and the reader of the work. Since these issues are happening in just two facilities in one state, it would be interesting if these findings are generalizable to the rest of the United States. The litany of problems faced in only two facilities in one state hint toward a larger scale issue that deserve the same care and attention.
Herbert’s book maintains the message calling for policy change and asks for reconsideration of the retribution model, which states that offenders should pay for their crime in a way that fits their offense. Its purpose of directing the book to policy makers and practitioners can therefore be considered fulfilled. However, given the easy and enjoyable read Too Easy to Keep provides, it is suitable for a variety of individuals. Herbert’s work provokes consideration on issues not directly found in the spotlight; it covers issues that inherently make sense but are not outwardly spoken. The book can be considered suitable for anyone ranging from simply being interested in correctional issues to people expertly working and researching the field. The language utilized makes the book understandable for anyone.
The increasing population of people sentenced to LWOP in the United States is a mirror to the punitive mind-set in current criminal justice policies. Herbert’s purpose with Too Easy to Keep is to shed a light on the moral and fiscal challenges paired with this increasingly punitive mind-set. Through documenting the challenges inmates and staff face with the aging population, the hope is to stimulate conversations that might lead to change. This work contributes to the growing, but still relatively small, collection of work on long-term imprisonment in an expert way. He maintains a positivist outlook that mirrors the attitude of the inmates in the book. While the message of the book is serious, it is delivered in a lighthearted tone that makes Too Easy to Keep an enjoyable, thought-provoking read. In doing so, Herbert proves his meticulous care and compassion for the subject matter. Expanding his work throughout the United States will provide further insight into the scale of this issue already tremendously outlined in this book.
