The North American Society for Social Philosophy (NASSP) has given its 2024 award for best book to Jennifer Lackey (Northwestern University) for her Criminal Testimonial Injustice.

According to NASSP, “the Book Award Committee reviewed 27 nominated books—many of which were exceptional—and agreed unanimously that Lackey should receive the award.”

Criminal Testimonial Injustice is a book that “draws on work across philosophy, the law, and social psychology” to show that

there is a distinctive epistemic wrong being perpetrated against suspects, defendants, witnesses, and victims. This wrong involves brute State power targeting the epistemic agency of its citizens, extracting false testimony that is often life-shattering, and rendering the victims in question complicit in their own undoing.

The prize is presented at the NASSP annual conference, and includes a plaque and panel session dedicated to the book.

NASSP notes that the image on the cover of the book is a painting by Anthony Ehlers, a recent graduate of the Northwestern Prison Education Program, which is led by Professor Lackey.

A list of previous winners of the award is here.