American Prisons ─ Their Past, Present and Future

Imprisonment has become big business in the United States. The number of state and federal prisons has increased from around 600 in the mid-1970s to over 1,000 by the year 2000. More people are imprisoned in the United States than inhabit entire countries, like Greece, for example. Annually, America locks up 2 million people, almost 700,000 in jail and about 1.4 million in prison. This book offers a critical examination of American prisons and considers their history, their current state and where they are going.

Tracing both the history of the prison and the very idea of imprisonment in the United States, this book provides students with a critical overview of American Corrections. Topics covered include:

• A history of imprisonment in America from 1600 to the present day,

• an examination of the prison-building binge,

• the relationship between US prisons and the private sector,

• a critical account of capital punishment,

• minorities in prison, including women, children and the elderly,

• sex, violence and disease in prison.

This book is perfect reading for advanced courses on corrections and correctional management and offers a compelling and provocative analysis of the realities of American penal culture.

David Musick is Professor of Sociology at the University of Northern Colorado, USA. Kristine G. Musick is a licensed Psychologist in Greeley, Colorado.