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Prison Readings: A Critical Introduction to Prisons and Imprisonment

NCJ Number
213985
Editor(s)
Yvonne Jewkes, Helen Johnston
Date Published
2006
Length
316 pages
Annotation
This book offers a critical introduction to the main debates and dilemmas revolving around prisons and imprisonment in the United States.
Abstract
The introduction discusses the development of prisons throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and briefly explores the “prison crisis” of the late 20th century. Following the introduction there are five main sections that explore, alternately, the history and development of prisons as a form of punishment in the United States; the contemporary theories examining imprisonment; the sociological and psychological research on the effects of imprisonment; the debates regarding the management and privatization of prisons; and the emerging trends and current controversies in the use of imprisonment. Part A on the emergence of the modern prison focuses on the fundamental changes in the notion of punishment over the course of the 18th and 19th centuries. Different types of prison regimes are examined, with an emphasis on the role of religion in the prison environment. Finally, this section explores Victorian penal theory and the management of female prisoners during the 19th century. Part B focuses on theoretical approaches and emerging trends associated with the use and management of prisons. In particular, these readings explore questions related to legitimacy, order and control, and therapeutic communities. Part C offers a series of readings on prison populations, including discussions of the demographic composition of prison populations and the experience of life in confinement. Part D explores aspects of the prison community, such as the strategies prisoners employ to deal with prison life. Part E turns to a series of discussions on current controversies surrounding prisons and shaping penal policy, including the problem of self-harm among prisoners, the prison drug economy, prisoner mental health issues, and prisoners’ rights as explicated in the European Convention on Human Rights. The conclusion examines why the United Kingdom, as well as other nations, have come to rely so heavily on imprisonment as a form of punishment. Notes, references, index