Chokehold

A former federal prosecutor, Paul Butler provides legal commentary for MSNBC and NPR and has been featured on 60 Minutes and profiled in the Washington Post. A law professor at Georgetown University, he is the author of Let's Get Free: A Hip-Hop Theory of Justice, winner of the Harry Chapin Media Award, and Chokehold: Policing Black Men (both from The New Press). He has published numerous op-eds and book reviews, including in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the Los Angeles Times. He lives in Washington, DC.

Praise for Chokehold:Finalist for the 2018 National Council on Crime & Delinquency's Media for a Just Society AwardsNominated for the 49th NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work (Nonfiction)A 2017 Washington Post Notable Book A Kirkus Best Book of 2017New York Times Book Review "11 New Books We Recommend This Week" "Butler has hit his stride. This is a meditation, a sonnet, a legal brief, a poetry slam and a dissertation that represents the full bloom of his early thesis: The justice system does not work for blacks, particularly black men."—The Washington Post "The most readable and provocative account of the consequences of the war on drugs since Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow . . ."—The New York Times Book Review"Powerful . . . deeply informed from a legal standpoint and yet in some ways still highly personal"—The Times Literary Supplement (London)"Butler doesn't flinch from facts that many reformers prefer to avoid."—Bookforum"A searing look at the interactions of law enforcement and black men by a former prosecutor . . . . Smart, filled rightfully with righteous indignation, and demanding broad discussion and the widest audience."—Kirkus Reviews (starred) "Paul Butler's book equips supporters of Black Lives Matter with one more important resource to curb racism in law enforcement."—Study Breaks"Paul Butler illuminates the complexities that shape racial injustice in America with a sharp, critical, intersectional analysis that is honest and sobering. Chokehold deconstructs all of the forces that have created despair and violence in the criminal justice system but courageously posits solutions as well. An important read for anyone searching for a more just system."—Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy "Insightful reading for all genders and generations. By engaging in courageous dialogue, Paul Butler illustrates how the system is broken on purpose, and why those who believe in justice can't settle for shortsighted reform. With its well-researched, poignant answers to the most complicated questions of our day, Chokehold is a crucial read for those who want to stay woke and win."—Opal Tometi, co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter and executive director of Black Alliance for Just Immigration "A wonderfully disturbing book that will upset everything you think you know about race and criminal justice in America—colorful and vibrant social theory rooted in revolutionary pragmatism."—Michael Eric Dyson, author of Tears We Cannot Stop "Paul Butler tells the unvarnished truth about the criminal justice system. Butler confronts just about everyone—police, prosecutors, judges, black elites, liberals, and radicals. A must-read for those with a serious interest in criminal justice."—Judge Shira Scheindlin (ret.), presiding judge in Floyd v. City of New York challenging the city's stop-and-frisk program "Chokehold speaks to the lived experiences of black men across the country who are targeted by a 'justice' system that is designed to punish them—and is far from 'just' in doing so."—Michael Render (aka Killer Mike of Run the Jewels), Grammy award–winning rapper and activist