40 pages 1 hour read

Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve

Crook County

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2016

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

Crook County: Racism and Injustice in America’s Largest Criminal Court by Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve exposes systemic racism and corruption in Cook County, Illinois' criminal courts. Through a decade of ethnographic research, Van Cleve demonstrates how legal processes discriminate against poor individuals of color, perpetuated by court professionals, including sheriffs, defense attorneys, and prosecutors. The book details how racial bias is cloaked in non-racial terms, illustrating the pervasive culture of racial colorblindness in the justice system. The text includes references to racial degradation and violence.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve's Crook County expertly unveils systemic racism within the Chicago criminal courts, praised for thorough research and gripping narratives. Critics commend its compelling accounts, though some found repetition in its case studies, potentially affecting engagement. Overall, it's an impactful and sobering look at justice disparities.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Crook County?

Readers intrigued by systemic racial injustices within the U.S. legal system will appreciate Crook County by Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve. Similar to Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow, this book offers a critical and revealing examination of court procedures, making it ideal for those interested in sociology, criminology, and social justice.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Themes

Identity: Race

Society: Class

Society: Politics & Government

Topics

Race / Racism

Education

Sociology

Genre

Education

Mystery / Crime Fiction