The Power of Dignity

How Transforming Justice Can Heal Our Communities

By: Judge Victoria Pratt, Senator Cory Booker - foreword

Narrated by: Chanté McCormick, Cary Hite, Judge Victoria Pratt

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

A renowned judge wonders: What would criminal justice look like if we put respect at the center?

The Black and Latina daughter of a working-class family, Victoria Pratt learned to treat everyone with dignity, no matter their background. When she became Newark Municipal Court’s chief judge, she knew well the inequities that poor, mentally ill, Black, and brown people faced in the criminal justice system. Pratt’s reforms transformed her courtroom into a place for problem-solving and a resource for healing. She assigned essays to defendants so that the court could understand their hardships and kept people out of jail through alternative sentencing and nonprofit partnerships. She became the judge of second chances, because she knew too few get a first one.

With a foreword from Senator Cory Booker, The Power of Dignity shows how we can transform courtrooms, neighborhoods, and our nation to support the vulnerable and heal community rifts. That’s the power of dignity.

©2022 Judge Victoria Pratt (P)2022 Seal Press

Critic reviews

"Judge Pratt's book exposes the many ways that the American criminal court system doubly punishes those who are already society's most vulnerable. Her solutions are deceptively simple and overwhelmingly necessary. Written with true care and compassion, this is an essential book for healing our broken justice system." —Anthony Ray Hinton, New York Times-bestselling author of The Sun Does Shine

“Judge Pratt is a remarkable and powerful storyteller. The stories of courtroom cases in these pages are gripping, and they add up to something bigger: Pratt’s critical message about transforming our criminal justice system. If you believe in achieving ‘liberty and justice for all,’ read this book.” —Sunny Hostin, Emmy-winning co-host of The View and New York Times bestselling author of Summer on the Bluffs

"Written with both precision and compassion, The Power of Dignity offers readers an important and rare gift: the opportunity to get inside the mind of a judge as she wrestles with hard cases and no-win situations. If every judge were Victoria Pratt, our criminal courts would be the envy of the world.” —Greg Berman, Former Executive Director, Center for Court Innovation

It's what we need now from the judicial system

I have never thought of the judicial system being transformed in this way. The entire system is presented in a manner that makes the average person feel inadequate just coming in the door. It just makes so much sense. Instead of using the lock them up and throw away the key system that has always been an effect. Especially when you're dealing with real issues such as addiction, education, economics and mental health. Kudos to Judge Pratt for bringing this to the forefront.

must read for everyone in the legal system

as a new law school graduate this will shape how I view the judicial system and my job

Five Stars!

I first heard Judge Pratt speaking on a podcast episode of Sharon Says So and immediately found her book on Audible. I’ve recommended it to everyone I’ve come in contact with since. This book was sobering, thought provoking, and inspiring. Seeing restorative justice in action gives me such hope.

Inspiring

This book inspires hope in the justice system. It should be required reading for all people working in the system. This is such a refreshing perspective on leading with dignity. Judge Pratt has done work that resulted in changing the lives of people she’s encountered. I’m inspired personally to ensure I treat people with dignity.