The Limits of Blame: Rethinking Punishment and Responsibility

The Limits of Blame by Erin Kelly is a thought-provoking and insightful exploration of the criminal justice system, challenging the moralism behind harsh treatment of criminal offenders.

Kelly argues that our practice of assigning blame has gone beyond a pragmatic need for protection and a moral need to repudiate harmful acts publicly, and instead represents a desire for retribution that normalizes excessive punishment.

By appreciating the limits of moral blame, Kelly proposes that we abandon our culture of blame and aim at reducing serious crime rather than imposing retribution.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in criminal justice reform and seeking a more humane and productive approach to addressing crime.