Author: Frederic G. Reamer File Type: pdf Few people experience life inside of prison. Even fewer are charged with the formidable responsibility of deciding whether inmates should be released. In his twenty-four years on the Rhode Island Parole Board, Frederic G. Reamer has judged the fates of thousands of inmates, deciding which are ready to reenter society and which are not. It is a complicated choice that balances injury to victims and their families against an offenders capacity for transformation. With rich retellings of criminal casessome banal, some brutalOn the Parole Board is a singular book that explains from an insiders perspective how a variety of factors play into the boards decisions the ongoing effect on victims and their loved ones, the life histories of offenders, the circumstances of the crimes, and the powerful and often extraordinary displays of forgiveness and remorse. Pulling back the curtain on a process largely shrouded in mystery, Reamer lays bare the thorny philosophical issues of crime and justice and their staggering consequences for inmates, victims, and the public at large. Reamer and his colleagues often hope, despite encountering behavior at its worst, that criminals who have made horrible mistakes have the capacity for redemption. Yet that hope must be tempered with a realistic appraisal of risk, given the potentially grave consequences of releasing an inmate who may commit a future crime. This book will appeal to anyone interested in the complexities of the criminal justice system, the need to correct its injustices, and the challenges of those who must decide when justice has been served. ** Few people experience life inside of prison. Even fewer are charged with the formidable responsibility of deciding whether inmates should be released. In his twenty-four years on the Rhode Island Parole Board, Frederic G. Reamer has judged the fates of thousands of inmates, deciding which are ready to reenter society and which are not. It is a complicated choice that balances injury to victims and their families against an offenders capacity for transformation. With rich retellings of criminal casessome banal, some brutalOn the Parole Board is a singular book that explains from an insiders perspective how a variety of factors play into the boards decisions the ongoing effect on victims and their loved ones, the life histories of offenders, the circumstances of the crimes, and the powerful and often extraordinary displays of forgiveness and remorse. Pulling back the curtain on a process largely shrouded in mystery, Reamer lays bare the thorny philosophical issues of crime and justice and their staggering consequences for inmates, victims, and the public at large. Reamer and his colleagues often hope, despite encountering behavior at its worst, that criminals who have made horrible mistakes have the capacity for redemption. Yet that hope must be tempered with a realistic appraisal of risk, given the potentially grave consequences of releasing an inmate who may commit a future crime. This book will appeal to anyone interested in the complexities of the criminal justice system, the need to correct its injustices, and the challenges of those who must decide when justice has been served. **

Author: Michael L Satlow File Type: pdf In this sweeping narrative,Michael Satlow tells the fascinating story of how an ancient collection of obscure Israelite writings became the founding texts of both Judaism and Christianity, considered holy by followers of each faith. Drawing on cutting-edge historical and archeological research, he traces the story of how, when, and why Jews and Christians gradually granted authority to texts that had long lay dormant in a dusty temple archive. The Bible, Satlow maintains, was not the consecrated book it is now until quite late in its history. He describes how elite scribes in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C.E. began the process that led to the creation of several of our biblical texts. It was not until these were translated into Greek in Egypt in the second century B.C.E., however, that some Jews began to see them as culturally authoritative, comparable to Homers works in contemporary Greek society. Then, in the first century B.C.E. in Israel, political machinations resulted in the Sadducees assigning legal power to the writings. We see how the world Jesus was born into was largely biblically illiterate and how he knew very little about the texts upon which his apostles would base his spiritual leadership. Synthesizing an enormous body of scholarly work, Satlows groundbreaking study offers provocative new assertions about commonly accepted interpretations of biblical history as well as a unique window into how two of the worlds great faiths came into being. **Review Satlow proposes new, interesting, and controversial answers to how and when the Bible received its authority as a holy book. Impressive in its scope, daring in its claims, masterful in its scholarship, Satlows analysis reaches surprising historical conclusions that will challenge readers about how they understand the Bible -- its origin, its character, and above all its status as a sacred collection of books, the authoritative canon of Scripture. Bart D. Ehrman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Bart D. Ehrman) Michael Satlow gracefully challenges fundamental assumptions about the nature of Biblical authority in this powerful and important book. Prepare for a fascinating exploration of the changing ways in which Jews and Christians encountered the holy in divine oracles, sacred books, and the people who interpret them.Karen L. King, Harvard University (Karen L. King) How the Bible Became Holy is a lucid, learned and elegant guide to the history and ideas that gave us our holy books and changed the world.Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple, author of Why Faith Matters (David Wolpe) Satlow is extremely well-versed in the scholarship and he very innovatively interprets known sources and arranges his interpretations coherently. This is a book that will shake the field.Evyatar Marienberg, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Evyatar Marienberg) This remarkable book will change the way you think about the Bible. A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically (A.J. Jacobs) Thorough and impressive.Rathe Miller, Philadelphia Inquirer (Rathe Miller Philadelphia Inquirer) The authors knowledge and his resources, both literary and archaeological, are vast. . . . Regardless of the readers familiarity with the material, the authors expertise cannot be doubted.Kirkus Reviews (Kirkus Reviews) Raises vital questions about one of the most important books in history. . . . [Satlows] command of the broad outline of ancient history in this region impresses. . . . To articulate the intricacies of the Bibles history would overwhelm most historians. It is a complex story, but one that Satlow narrates with bold ingenuity and conviction.Timothy Michael Law, Los Angeles Review of Books (Timothy Michael Law Los Angeles Review of Books) How the Bible Became Holy traces how Jewish texts in circulation across many centuries in the ancient world came to assume religious authority. Many of [Satlows] findings were revelatory to me.Howard Freedman, JWeekly Off the Shelf (Howard Freedman JWeekly Off the Shelf) [Satlow] writes for the biblically adventurous and curious reader . . . the sheer range of ideas here [is] dazzling.Alice Camille, U.S. Catholic (Alice Camille U.S. Catholic) From the Author Why did you decide to write this book? Scholarship on the Bible and on the history of Jews and Christians in antiquity have changed our understanding of the past significantly. Yet I have found that my students, both in university and adult education classes, are largely unaware of these new developments. I wanted to open up a vibrant and complex world to this larger audience. Did you encounter any surprises in your research? Yes! I have been studying this material for most of my adult life, but nevertheless I constantly find myself revising my own understanding. After I added up these revisions, they led me to a larger picture that I did not expect. For example, understanding biblical law as largely academic exercises, or Paul as a largely typical upper-class intellectual Jew from Jerusalem, very much changed the way that I now approach the history of the period. Did studying the Bible in a rigorous, historical way change your relationship with it? To my mind, placing scripture within its larger historical context adds to, rather than detracts from, its value. The Bible is a remarkable book and remains important for me and my family. What were the greatest challenges in your research? Writing a history like this is a bit like putting together a jigsaw puzzle that is missing 90 percent of its pieces as well as the puzzle box lid showing the picture. In other words, I wanted to write a clean, accessible narrative, but I also had to approach the task with great humility. I hope that the result is a book that will start conversations.