Description
Book SynopsisIn 1993, Rik Scarce was imprisoned for refusing to testify to a federal grand jury about his interviews with animal rights activists who had broken into a research laboratory. This title tells of his incarceration and his ethical stance. It is suitable for those concerned with American criminal justice and civil liberties.
Trade ReviewContempt of Court is the story of one man's 'constitutional struggle,' as Rik Scarce puts it, a fight in support of the First Amendment, but an intensely personal struggle as well. His journey to and through jail is a moving study in courage and American ideals in practice. Anyone interested in the darker side of our criminal justice system, and in the lives of all those who are locked in our jails, will find in Contempt of Court a first-hand account like none other. -- Richard A. Leo, University of California, Irvine
Books dealing with life in prison typically have relied on interviews or questionnaires administered by social scientists or informal descriptions by prisoners who are not social scientists. This book by sociologist Rik Scarce bridges this gap with a penetrating ethnographic analysis based on his 159 days of incarceration, occasioned by his refusal to identify the subjects used in his dissertation. He brings the prison situation to life to a degree that few have been able to achieve. -- John F. Galliher, Missouri University-Columbia
Table of Contents1 Foreword 2 Acknowledgements 3 Cast of Characters and Glossary 4 Chapter 1: A Sense of Justice 5 Chapter 2: Kicking Uncle Sam's Ass 6 Chapter 3: Find Me Some Amendments 7 Chapter 4: The Meaning of Devotion 8 Chapter 5: I'd Gladly Die Right Now 9 Chapter 6: Joint Joints 10 Chapter 7: A Final Rollup 11 Chapter 8: Some Things Do Not Come to Pass 12 About the Author
