American Prison by
New York Times Book Review 10 Best Books of 2018 One of President Barack Obama's favorite books of 2018 A New York Times Notable Book A ground-breaking and brave inside reckoning with the nexus of prison and profit in America: in one Louisiana prison and over the course of our country's history. In 2014, Shane Bauer was hired for $9 an hour to work as an entry-level prison guard at a private prison in Winnfield, Louisiana. An award-winning investigative journalist, he used his real name; there was no meaningful background check. Four months later, his employment came to an abrupt end. But he had seen enough, and in short order he wrote an exposé about his experiences that won a National Magazine Award and became the most-read feature in the history of the magazine Mother Jones. Still, there was much more that he needed to say. In American Prison, Bauer weaves a much deeper reckoning with his experiences together with a thoroughly researched history of for-profit prisons in America from their origins in the decades before the Civil War. For, as he soon realized, we can't understand the cruelty of our current system and its place in the larger story of mass incarceration without understanding where it came from. Private prisons became entrenched in the South as part of a systemic effort to keep the African-American labor force in place in the aftermath of slavery, and the echoes of these shameful origins are with us still. The private prison system is deliberately unaccountable to public scrutiny. Private prisons are not incentivized to tend to the health of their inmates, or to feed them well, or to attract and retain a highly-trained prison staff. Though Bauer befriends some of his colleagues and sympathizes with their plight, the chronic dysfunction of their lives only adds to the prison's sense of chaos. To his horror, Bauer finds himself becoming crueler and more aggressive the longer he works in the prison, and he is far from alone. A blistering indictment of the private prison system, and the powerful forces that drive it, American Prison is a necessary human document about the true face of justice in America.
Ordinary Men - Revised Edition by
Christopher R. Browning's shocking account of how a unit of average middle-aged Germans became the cold-blooded murderers of tens of thousands of Jews--now with a new afterword and additional photographs. Ordinary Men is the true story of Reserve Police Battalion 101 of the German Order Police, which was responsible for mass shootings as well as round-ups of Jewish people for deportation to Nazi death camps in Poland in 1942. Browning argues that most of the men of RPB 101 were not fanatical Nazis but, rather, ordinary middle-aged, working-class men who committed these atrocities out of a mixture of motives, including the group dynamics of conformity, deference to authority, role adaptation, and the altering of moral norms to justify their actions. Very quickly three groups emerged within the battalion: a core of eager killers, a plurality who carried out their duties reliably but without initiative, and a small minority who evaded participation in the acts of killing without diminishing the murderous efficiency of the battalion whatsoever. While this book discusses a specific Reserve Unit during WWII, the general argument Browning makes is that most people succumb to the pressures of a group setting and commit actions they would never do of their own volition. Ordinary Men is a powerful, chilling, and important work with themes and arguments that continue to resonate today. "A remarkable--and singularly chilling--glimpse of human behavior...This meticulously researched book...represents a major contribution to the literature of the Holocaust."--Newsweek
Halfway Home by
A "persuasive and essential" (Matthew Desmond) work that will forever change how we look at life after prison in America through Miller's "stunning, and deeply painful reckoning with our nation's carceral system" (Heather Ann Thompson). Each year, more than half a million Americans are released from prison and join a population of twenty million people who live with a felony record. Reuben Miller, a chaplain at the Cook County Jail in Chicago and now a sociologist studying mass incarceration, spent years alongside prisoners, ex-prisoners, their friends, and their families to understand the lifelong burden that even a single arrest can entail. What his work revealed is a simple, if overlooked truth: life after incarceration is its own form of prison. The idea that one can serve their debt and return to life as a full-fledge member of society is one of America's most nefarious myths. Recently released individuals are faced with jobs that are off-limits, apartments that cannot be occupied and votes that cannot be cast. As The Color of Law exposed about our understanding of housing segregation, Halfway Home shows that the American justice system was not created to rehabilitate. Parole is structured to keep classes of Americans impoverished, unstable, and disenfranchised long after they've paid their debt to society. Informed by Miller's experience as the son and brother of incarcerated men, captures the stories of the men, women, and communities fighting against a system that is designed for them to fail. It is a poignant and eye-opening call to arms that reveals how laws, rules, and regulations extract a tangible cost not only from those working to rebuild their lives, but also our democracy. As Miller searchingly explores, America must acknowledge and value the lives of its formerly imprisoned citizens. PEN America 2022 John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction Finalist Winner of the 2022 PROSE Award for Excellence in Social Sciences 2022 PROSE Awards Finalist 2022 PROSE Awards Category Winner for Cultural Anthropology and Sociology An NPR Selected 2021 Books We Love As heard on NPR's Fresh Air
Guns in American Society by
Thoroughly updated and greatly expanded from its original edition, this three-volume set is the go-to comprehensive resource on the legal, social, psychological, political, and public health aspects of guns in American life. * 450 alphabetically organized entries, including 100 new for this edition, covering key issues (suicide, video games and gun violence, firearm injury statistics) and events (workplace shootings, the Virginia Tech massacre) * 102 expert contributors from all academic fields involved in studying the causes and effects of gun violence * A chronology of pivotal moments and controversies in the history of firearm ownership and use in the United States * An exhaustive bibliography of print and online resources covering all aspects of the study of guns in the United States * Appendices on federal gun laws, state gun laws, and pro- and anti-gun-control organizations
Encyclopedia of American Law and Criminal Justice by
While ignorance of the law may be no excuse for breaking it, for most people, the law seems inaccessible and often incomprehensible. In more than 700 entries, Encyclopedia of American Law and Criminal Justice, Revised Edition breaks down the complex workings of America's criminal justice system in a way that readers can understand. Now in two volumes, this A-to-Z encyclopedia covers a wide range of relevant topics, including police, courts, corrections, laws, and famous criminals, as well as such timely and controversial subjects as bullying, cameras in public places, cyber crime, juvenile death penalty and much more. A primary resources section contains documents that are vital to understanding this important subject.
Medical Serial Killers by
In-depth analysis and comprehensive text delve into the psychology of medical serial killers, such as Dr. Michael Swango and Dr. Harold Shipman, in order to examine their motives, behaviors, and methods. Readers can also take a personality disorder self-assessment quiz to learn more about psychopathy--the most common psychological condition for serial killers.
Crime and Punishment in America by
Covering some of the most hotly contested topics in crime and criminal justice, including proposed sentencing and prison reforms, controversial developments like Stand Your Ground laws, and Supreme Court decisions, this work supplies essential background, current data, and a range of viewpoints on these important issues. * Provides readers with a thorough analysis of the most controversial topics in criminal justice that includes contributions from renowned scholars, activists, victim service providers, and other experts * Addresses current trends and problems in America's criminal justice system * Includes tables, graphs, and charts tracking the most important developments related to crime, sentencing, and the prison system
The Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice by
***Selected as a 2015 Outstanding Reference Source by Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association*** "An excellent introduction to topics under the criminology umbrella for those unschooled in the field and a state-of-the-art refresher for those who are." - Choice Offers wide-ranging and comprehensive coverage spanning 15 substantive areas within criminology and criminal justice, including criminal law, juvenile justice, education and professionalism, history of crime, and victimization Combines state-of-the-art coverage of developments in areas such as homeland security and forensic science, with the core topics within criminology and criminal justice Edited by one of criminology's leading authorities, and peer reviewed by a team of 14 associate editors, all of whom are renowned in their fields Brings together an international team of contributors from ten countries to offer a uniquely global perspective on topics such as transnational crime 5 Volumes www.encyclopediaofcriminology.com
Encyclopedia of Social Deviance by
Social deviance does not involve just criminal behavior--it's any behavior that violates a cultural norm, and that can involve something as minor as consistently and deliberately wearing lively mismatched socks. Moreover, whether a crime, a sin, or simply unique taste, what's considered deviant at one time and place can change, as when extensive tattooing and "body art" evolved from a sideshow carnival spectacle to a nearly universal rite of passage within U.S. culture.Drawing contributions from across the social and behavioral sciences, including sociology, anthropology, criminology, politics, psychology, and religion, the Encyclopedia of Social Deviance introduces students to this lively field of rule-making and rebellion that strikes at the core of what it means to be an individual living in a social world. Key Features: More than 300 articles are organized A-to-Z in two volumes available in both electronic and print formats. Articles, authored by key figures in the field, conclude with cross-reference links and further readings. Although organized A-to-Z, a thematic "Reader's Guide" groups related articles by broad areas (e.g., Concepts; Theories; Research Methodologies; Individual Deviance; Organizational Deviance; etc.) as one handy search feature on the e-Reference platform, which also includes a comprehensive index of search terms.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Crime, Media, and Popular Culture by
. The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Crime, Media and Popular Culture, a massive and unprecedented undertaking, offers a foundational space for understanding the cultural life and imaginative force and power of crime and punishment. Across five areas foundational to the study of crime and media,leading scholars from five continents engage cutting edge scholarship in order to provide definitive overviews of over 120 topics. In the context of an unprecedented global proliferation in the production of images, they take up the perennial and emergent problems of crime's celebrity and fascination; stereotypes and innovations in portrayals of crime and criminals; and the logics of representation that follow police, courts,capital punishment, prisons, and legal systems across the world. They also engage new, timely, and historically overlooked categories of offense and their representations, including child sexual abuse, violence against women, and human trafficking. A series of entries on mediums and methods provide a much needed set of critical approaches at a historical moment when doing media and visual research is a daunting, formidable undertaking. This is also a volume that stretches our understanding of conventional categories of crime representation.
The SAGE Dictionary of Criminology by
Now in its Third Edition, this bestselling reference text has established itself as the authoritative source covering the key concepts, theories, and methods in criminology and criminal justice. Edited by Eugene McLaughlin and John Muncie, two of the leading figures in the discipline, the book is:Comprehensive: with over 300 entries, the new edition contains multiple revisions, new entries and an expanded editorial introduction Definitive: concepts are precisely defined so students have a clear understanding of the history and development of each topicStudent-focused: each entry maps connections across various fields and issues and includes further reading to extend students' knowledge International: over 90 contributions from internationally renowned academics and practitioners ensure this book is global and comparative throughoutThe new edition of this essential reference and research tool will be an invaluable companion for any student or academic within criminology and criminal justice, or related fields including sociology, social policy, and cultural studies.
The Social History of Crime and Punishment in America by
Several encyclopedias overview the contemporary system of criminal justice in America, but full understanding of current social problems and contemporary strategies to deal with them can come only with clear appreciation of the historical underpinnings of those problems. Thus, this five-volume work surveys the history and philosophy of crime, punishment, and criminal justice institutions in America from colonial times to the present. It covers the whole of the criminal justice system, from crimes, law enforcement and policing, to courts, corrections and human services. Among other things, this encyclopedia: explicates philosophical foundations underpinning our system of justice; charts changing patterns in criminal activity and subsequent effects on legal responses; identifies major periods in the development of our system of criminal justice; and explores in the first four volumes - supplemented by a fifth volume containing annotated primary documents - evolving debates and conflicts on how best to address issues of crime and punishment. Its signed entries in the first four volumes--supplemented by a fifth volume containing annotated primary documents--provide the historical context for students to better understand contemporary criminological debates and the contemporary shape of the U.S. system of law and justice.
