Prisons and Punishment in America: Examining the Facts

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Synthesizing the latest scholarship in law and the social sciences on criminal sentencing and corrections, this book provides a thorough, balanced, and accessible survey of the major policy issues in these fields of persistent public interest and political debate. After three decades of explosive growth, the American incarceration rate is impracticably high. Drawing on leading research in law and the social sciences, this book covers a range of topics in sentencing and corrections in America in a manner that is accessible and engaging for general readers. Tackling high-level issues in the criminal justice system, it outlines the scale and causes of mass incarceration in the United States. To complement this, it details the roles and relative power of judges and prosecutors, the severity of punishment for drug offenders and white-collar offenders, the abuse of prisoners and the enforcement of prisoner rights, and repeat offending by released prisoners. It examines challenges that come with a high incarceration rate, such as the management of mental illness in the criminal justice system, the management of sex offenders, and the impact of parental incarceration on children. Looking ahead, it considers prospects for reducing current incarceration levels, the availability and effectiveness of alternatives to incarceration, and the future of capital punishment.

Reviews

The first page of this book clearly defines its intended audience and that of the other Contemporary Debates volumes: 'high school and undergraduate students as well as members of the general public.' That clearly designates the kinds of libraries that will benefit most from adding this title to their collections. This series has examined other topics of current interest: climate change, the Affordable Care Act, Muslims, marijuana, journalism and 'fake news,' and immigration. These other books should be of similar interest to libraries considering this one. * ARBA *

Author Bio

Michael O'Hear is professor of criminal law and procedure at Marquette University Law School. His books include The Failure of Sentencing Reform and Wisconsin Sentencing in the Tough-on-Crime Era.