NCJ Number
183635
Date Published
1999
Length
218 pages
Annotation
The use of incarceration in the United States has increased five-fold since 1973; this explosion in the prison population is the focus of this book.
Abstract
The author contends that increasing imprisonment rates have not had a substantial impact on crime and that minorities are disproportionately affected. He documents the enormous financial and human toll of the "get tough" movement and the negative impact of this movement on black and other minority communities. Exploring the intersection of race and class that underpins current politics and crime policies, the author traces the history of these developments and assesses how society has come to rely on the use of imprisonment. As an example, the author cites the war on drugs that emphasizes rigid control over drug treatment and economic development. He discusses the inordinate emphasis on punishment and recommends alternatives to imprisonment that are based on victim-offender reconciliation, social control, and restorative justice. Notes, tables, and figures