Frederic Block is a U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of New York. He has been at the forefront of releasing prisoners and has received both praise and grief in the media. Judge Block is the author of several books, including his memoir Disrobed and the reality-fiction novel Race to Judgment, the basis for an incipient TV series, as well as A Second Chance: A Federal Judge Decides Who Deserves It (The New Press). He lives in New York City.