Description
Book SynopsisIn 1969, the world was shocked by a series of murders committed by Charles Manson and his family of followers. Although the defendants were sentenced to death in 1971, their sentences were commuted to life with parole in 1972; since 1978, they have been regularly attending parole hearings. Today all of the living defendants remain behind bars. Relying on nearly fifty years of parole hearing transcripts, as well as interviews and archival materials, Hadar Aviram invites readers into the opaque world of the California parole processa realm of almost unfettered administrative discretion, prison programming inadequacies, high-pitched emotions, and political pressures. Yesterday's Monsters offers a fresh longitudinal perspective on extreme punishment.
Trade Review"As California rethinks the roles of imprisonment and parole in this COVID-19, post-Three Strikes era,
Yesterday’s Monsters has some lessons for today."
* San Francisco Chronicle *
"Does a time arrive when actors in even a truly heinous crime merit parole? . . . Aviram's readable, astute, and discerning parsing makes this a provocative examination of this under-investigated issue." * CHOICE *
"Aviram’s book is a significant contribution to the academic literature discussing the social aspects of punishment in late 20th century America, but even more importantly, it is an imperative addition to discretionary parole research, which requires much more attention."
* Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books *
"Aviram delves into the world of the California parole process, finding almost unfettered administrative discretion, prison programming inadequacies, high-pitched emotions, and political pressures." * Law & Social Inquiry *
“Yesterday's Monsters provides a rich, detailed and provocative examination of parole through the lens of an infamous case, yet without sensationalism or voyeurism. Aviram has a unique voice which magnifies the readability of the text. . . . Readers interested in criminal justice as well as students in other disciplines like media studies, sociology, and psychology would be captivated by the book. Aviram's book will also appeal to true crime fanatics and may even provide an avenue for building empathy for people in prison.”
* Punishment & Society *
"Yesterday’s Monsters is an outstanding contribution to our sociological understanding of extreme punishment and mass incarceration in the US."
* Law & Society Review *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
Preface and Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 • The California Parole Process
2 • The Manson Family Cases and the Birth of the
“Extreme-Punishment Trifecta”
3 • The Triumph of Helter Skelter: How the Manson Family
Cases Came to Represent the Sui Generis Ultimate Evil
4 • Revisiting the Past: From Facts to Emotion in
Understanding the Crime of Commitment
5 • Reinventing the Present: Crafting and Interpreting
the Inmate’s Prison Experience
6 • Reimagining the Future: The Past Casts Its Shadow on
the Inmate’s Postrelease Plans
7 • In Bardo
Notes
Index
