PROFIT AND PUNISHMENT How America Criminalizes the Poor in the Name of Justice

The excellent Karen Chilton is fairly low-key in her narration of this Pulitzer Prize winner's audiobook. Her approach is appropriate because listeners likely won't need much help in sparking a strong reaction. Messenger explores the injuries caused to families and communities by the growing trend to fund municipal budgets through outrageous court fees and fines that are levied for small offenses and are devastating to impoverished people, both urban and rural. Chilton is subtle but engrossing. She does an excellent job portraying the people quoted directly and keeps the narrative moving without getting in its way. Much of this audiobook focuses on Missouri, but courts that use poor defendants as ATM machines are common across the country. This audiobook is a great exploration of the issue. G.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2022]