I keep getting the same advice over and over again, it goes like this: "You have to listen to Serial, you will love it." Maybe it is my look, knowing that I love a good story, or even the understanding that I am a defender for the rights of prisoners. All I know is that Serial has captivated a wide audience that includes both people aware of and unaware of the major injustices that are inflicted by the criminal justice system in the United States.

The show does not clearly portray a bias towards the elimination or necessary change to be had in the criminal justice system, but does make the listening public question all of the processes involved in the evaluation of guilt and dissemination and the presentation held within processing evidence, clearing displaying biases and judgments before the court. This is an important idea to run with for a second, the ability for a prosecutor to present specific information to try to prove guilt while we also find just as relevant conflicting information to try to persuade and create multiple narratives, in order to prove innocence or guilt. This in and of itself is the captivating story behind the courtroom drama, and the one that Serial dissects and explores.

Beyond just the need to prove the innocence of a potential wrongfully convicted person, the show has brought to light issues of crime, sentencing, prison and the potential injustices we face. These are tropes that get played out in the courtroom every day and yet only sometimes make it into major newspapers and online blogs, namely with regards to the lack of accountability that people are held up to and how this can completely damage people's lives. There are but a few groups that try to help people who have been convicted of a crime that they have not done, and with research and statistics we find that wrongful convictions are all too common to ignore.

Serial is but one example of an account of the criminal justice system played out in the mainstream. As with the hit show (and book) Orange is the New Black, we are provided with an insight into a world that many of us will never experience and yet we are just as culpable for not changing. These shows are popular not only because of the care put into their production, but also because they point towards larger issues in society. While it is great to be able to listen to a podcast and learn and be engaged aurally, there are a plethora of books that focus on this problem as well. Here are some great books at the library that explore this topic and are important to read as we further discuss these questions in our communities:

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander provides ample evidence to accurately portray 2014 United States criminal policy as an extension of the Jim Crow laws, in theory, and examines how the political landscape that insists on its "colorblindness" still upholds and actively enforces policies that continue to enforce racial discrimination and creates "second class citizens" of mostly minority males. It is an eye-opening account as to the damage done by the criminal justice system and how politicians and citizens justify the power they hold above another group by creating perpetuating discrimination.

In Crime Control as Industry, Nils Christie provides an engaging read that traces criminality to modern day, but done so in a way that is engrossing and thought provoking, always asking the question, "Why?" Why is it that the United States and Russia holds the most people captive than any other countries and why is there such a re-entry rate. In addition to these questions, Christie focuses on why do these policies and ways of governing change so that less people are in prison and more is focused on trying to stop criminalizing people and rehabilitate beforehand.

Angela Davis is a fierce opponent to the Prison Industrial Complex (she helps run Critical Resistance), and in Are Prisons Obsolete? Davis traces historical abolition movements to the present day to show how prisons are one in a line of many ideas thought impossible. To her, prisons are no longer necessary and there is a need to reshape the landscape of talking about criminality and justice. In addition to this questioning, she provides insight into the sexist, racist and corporate interests that lie in developing a more rigid and severe prison industry, even in bypassing human rights and equality.

Joey L Mogul talks about the reality faced by queer people in Queer (In)justice that are held up in the criminal justice system. From stereotyping and typecasting in daily life to court appearances (both as defendant or as the victim) to the prison experience and back at home. Mogul intertwines these narratives with how being LGBTQ in addition to barriers such as race, class, nationality, etc. to provide ample evidence on the criminalization and abuse of the LGBTQ community.

George Jackson is one of the more famous prison writers to come from the '60s. He wrote two books of which Soledad Brother is the most popular and is his letters to others from being inside San Quentin Prison and Soledad Prison, both in California. His letters not only trace his path towards politicization and his want for change on the outside, but also the need for change on the inside both as people and as a prison nation. His letters are alarming towards the treatment of prisoners and have remained a testament towards how we continue to treat those on the inside.

Finally, Arrested Justice by Beth E. Richie is a mandatory read in gaining insight as to the problems and challenges faced by minorities (specifically women of color) going through the system. Richie's book raises many questions towards how violence continues to be perpetuated, how cycles continue to exist in which minorities are constantly suffering by those who are deemed to be protecting. She also explores the broken support networks that are not being taken care of to ensure a safe existence. Overall, she points towards the heavy inequalities faced by marginalized communities and how these continue. An invigorating read with other narratives that are surely going to make you ask, how can we change this and how did we let this happen?