Book Reflection: The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due is about a young black boy, Robert Stephens Jr. who is sent to the Grace School for Boys (aka The Reformatory) because he kicked his white teen neighbor who was hitting on his sister, Glory. Unfortunately, the neighbors father is a man who has clout in the town of Gracetown.

And the book continues with one galling mistreatment and injustice for Black folks after another. Based on the Dozier School for Boys in the 1950s, The Reformatory sheds light on the atrocities that occur in institutions meant to "reform" children of color. Rather, they are punished and abused in sick, horrible ways. The Warden Haddock was an evil man who got away with so much before meeting his end (I read that part gleefully even as the gore made me cringe a bit.)

This book offers powerful commentary and reflection about incarceration and our justice system. How it breaks people and families apart. The corruption and how evil can hide in plain sight through the guise of "discipline".

This book made me really think about our current justice system and how full of injustice it truly is. Many of us ignore what is happening behind prison walls because we tell ourselves that they "deserve to be there," that they did something "bad". But "bad' based on whose definition? And do the punishments fit the "crime" or are they often overkill in a country that is built on the dehumanization of certain people?

My next step is looking into current prison reform. I know in NYC there's been talks of closing Rikers for years due to its horrible conditions. However, we have mayoral candidates running on platforms to keep it open. What's the state of the juvenile justice system? How can it be improved so our youth who get themselves caught up in trouble can actually be reformed and do better in the future? How can we ensure they're protected from the Warden Haddocks of the world?

The Reformatory is as great a read as everyone had been saying! I recommend it for everyone, especially if you've been avoiding it because it's "horror". It's not traditional horror; it's more historical fiction with dark themes. But in other ways, it's much scarier because it's real. 🫣

If you've read this one, I'd love to chat further. 🥰

Where to Get this Book:

• Your local library
• Tuma's Books
• Bookshop.org (ebook)
• Libro.fm (audiobook)