“Plea bargaining is the black box of criminal justice decision-making. It is hidden from the public but also from the parties most immediately effected by a crime and its consequences—victims who suddenly see what happened to them reduced to a shadow of the reality they experienced. Victims find the disconnect between their lived experience and the process disconcerting and worse, “I feel like a fringe dweller”. In this important study of victims reactions to plea bargaining, Freiberg and Flynn expertly prize open the plea bargaining box for victims by asking them about their experiences, including their views of potential policy interventions. As one victim sums up—justice must not only be done, and seen to be done, but also ‘felt to be done’. Criminal justice systems worldwide have allowed efficiency to become their super paradigm. This book is a timely reminder for practitioners, policy makers and students of criminal justice about the importance of recognizing that victims are the proxy for the communities they serve and protect. Freiberg and Flynn clearly articulate why a plea bargain is not just ‘a deal’—it’s a human story to be respected.”