Our Punitive Society: Race, Class, Gender, and Punishment in America

Document Type

Monograph

Publication Date

12-10-2020

Publisher

Waveland Press, Inc.

Edition

2

First page number:

1

Last page number:

324

Abstract

This reader-friendly exploration of the primary forces relevant to punishment—poverty and political powerlessness—highlights the necessity for humane alternatives to our current incarceration binge. This provocative overview looks at the business of punishment and at the historical patterns of control regarding slavery, the death penalty, women, the LGBTQ community, juveniles, and supervision. The United States has the world’s highest rate of incarceration—a form of punishment that separates the least privileged from the rest of society, creating populations of damaged lives. All of society pays the price for overly punitive sanctions. Equal justice is not possible in an unequal society. Up-to-date statistics illustrate the race, class, and gender inequalities in the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system has expanded for half a century. Will challenges to policing succeed in narrowing the net of social control? Will the cost of maintaining a massive system stimulate a transformation, or will stakeholders support minimal reforms that do not threaten their interests? The public is largely unaware of most of the workings of the criminal justice system. Through this engaging text, the authors hope to provide insights that encourage readers to examine the collateral effects of policies to address crime and the role of punishment.

Keywords

Incarceration; Prison system; Crime punishment; Criminal justice system; Race inequality; Class inequality; Gender inequality

Disciplines

Criminology and Criminal Justice | Legal Studies | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Language

English


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