Book Review

Frank J. Porporino reviews Professor Alison Liebling’s Aristotle’s Prison: A Search for Humanity in Tragic Places, exploring what decades of prison research reveal about the moral climate of correctional institutions and their capacity to support human growth and rehabilitation. Drawing on Liebling’s extensive research, the review examines how prison environments shape the experiences of incarcerated individuals and staff, with particular attention to humanity, fairness, safety, trust, and the quality of staff-prisoner relationships. Porporino highlights the book’s evidence-informed approach to understanding why some prisons foster dignity, personal development, and reduced violence, while others perpetuate distress, anger, and alienation. The review underscores that rehabilitation depends not only on programmes and services, but also on creating environments where individuals are treated with respect and supported in making positive changes. Ultimately, Porporino presents Liebling’s work as a significant contribution to correctional research and practice, challenging leaders, policymakers, and practitioners to create more humane, thoughtful, and morally grounded prison environments.