PMRJ Resources for Learning & Discussion

Educate yourself and others. Check out these resources, and consider hosting a book club or film viewing, followed by discussion.

Books:
- Melanie G. Snyder, Grace Goes to Prison: An Inspiring Story of Hope and Humanity (Elgin, IL: Brethren Press, 2009)
- Susan Burton & Cari Lynn, Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women (New York, NY: The New Press, 2017)
- W. Wilson Goode Sr., Charles E. Lewis Jr., Harold Dean Trulear, Ministry with Prisoners & Families: The Way Forward (Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2011)
- Marc Mauer & Ashley Nellis, The Meaning of Life: The Case for Abolishing Life Sentences (New York, NY: The New Press, 2018)
- Brenda Spahn and Irene Zutell, Miss Brenda and the Loveladies (New York, Waterbrook Press, 2014)
Video: Melanie Snyder, at TEDxLancaster,(12:54) “Breaking out of Prison Thinking”, 5/30/14, available on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ_B1g6o_Co
Movie: “Concrete, Steel and Paint”, New Day Films, Directed by Cindy Burstein and Tony Heriza, 2009, http://www.concretefilm.com
Some national and state organizations involved in prison ministry:

Movie: “Breaking the cycle” (57:33) A documentary describing how Norway has successfully made their maximum security prison more humane, compared to Attica prison in New York State. North Dakota State Prison has incorporated some changes based on the Norway model. at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFP8Puf6NJY
Video: Jail Warden Speaks Out on COVID-19 Crisis (2:10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfJsF1g3sqs&feature=youtu.be&eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=a4a81ef7-36b1-43bc-a379-da07249094c1

Books:
- Danielle Sered, Until We Reckon: Violence, Mass Incarceration, and a Road to Repair (New York, NY: The New Press, 2019)
- Howard Zehr, The Little Book of Restorative Justice (New York, NY: Good Books, 2015)
- Howard Zehr, Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice (Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press, 2005)
Podcast: (31:15) WYNC Studios On The Media podcast “Repairing Justice: An Alternative to Prison” An Interview of Danielle Sered. 7/31/19, https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/repairing-justice-alternative-prison
TV series: The Redemption Project, An Excellent series, Hosted by Van Jones, originally aired on CNN, 2019. 8 episodes, may be available by streaming via Youtube TV, Direct TV, Fubo, Sling, Spectrum

Books:
- Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (New York, NY: The New Press, 2010)
- Alexander Natapoff, Punishment Without Crime: How our Massive Misdemeanor System Traps the Innocent and Makes America More Unequal (New York, NY: Basic Books, 2018)
- Jennifer Eberhardt, Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice that Shapes What we see, Think, and Do (New York, NY: Viking, 2019)
Movies:
- “13^th , directed by Ava DuVernay, 2016, available on Netflix
- Movie “True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality” (1:40:41), directed by Peter Kunhardt, 2019: An excellent documentary film featuring Bryan Stevenson, describing how we must understand our past in order to provide justice for all in our society today.
  - Lessons and an engagement guide are available: https://www.kunhardtfilmfoundation.org/true-justice-educator-resources
Organization websites:

Books:
- Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (New York, NY: Spiegel & Grau, 2014)
- Anthony Ray Hinton, The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life, Freedom, and Justice (New York, NY: St. Martins Press, 2018)
- Sister Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking (New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1993)
- Advocacy against death penalty: Witness to innocence, https://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/

Books:
- Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt & David L. Weaver, Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2007)
- Jeanne Bishop, Change of Heart: Justice, Mercy, and Making Peace with my Sister’s Killer (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015)
- Simon Wiesenthal, The Sunflower (New York, NY: Schocken Books, 1998)
- Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu, The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World (New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2014).
- Lewis B. Smedes, The Art of Forgiving: When You Need to Forgive and Don’t Know How (Nashville, TN: Ballantine Publishing, Random House, 1996).
- Adam Hamilton, Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2012).