1st Edition
Mass Incarceration in the 21st Century Realities and Reflections
This reader presents a comprehensive review of the research on mass incarceration as it relates to causes, impact, and solutions. Assembling contributions from leading experts in a variety of disciplines as well as the voices of directly impacted people, the editors have created a diverse collection of chapters addressing prison, punishment, incarceration, reentry, and reintegration embedded in the context of the ever-evolving discussion around ending mass incarceration.
The effects of the exponential prison growth in the United States over more than 50 years have been catastrophic, resulting in disparities that especially plague the poor, communities of color, and women. Mass incarceration is a culmination of policies and practices that benefit the privileged praxis and consequently disproportionally disenfranchise marginalized communities. The ideology affects every stage of the criminal justice system, from policing to release, and this book meets the need to expand the examination beyond departments of corrections to explore the administration behind laws, biased practices, and an unforgiving societal stigma. It deepens comprehension and engagement with concise and accessible readings that offer nuance and provoke thought.
The book is ideal as a primary or supplementary textbook for corrections, prisons, or penology courses, as well as courses focused on law, policy, sociology, social work, and social justice. It also will serve as a valuable reference book for any individual searching for knowledge on the past, present, and future of mass incarceration.
Introduction: Realities of Mass Incarceration
Vanessa Lynn, Margaret Leigey, and Addrain Conyers
Section I: Laws and Policies
- The Procedural Architecture of Mass Incarceration
- Bail, Pretrial Detention, and Mass Incarceration
- Immigration in an Era of Mass Incarceration
- Life Imprisonment as a Hallmark of Mass Incarceration
- Reflection: Growing up on the Inside
Justin Murray
Karen F. Lahm
Tania N. Valdez
Ashley Nellis
Terrence J. Graham
Section II: Life Inside
- Solitary Confinement: Controversies and Reforms in Restrictive Housing
- Death and Dying Experiences of Long-Serving Individuals
- Women’s Imprisoned Bodies: Perceptions of Carceral Food Quality and Impact on Health for Self and Children
- The Mass Incarceration of LGBTQ Persons
- Reflection: Working in the Prison Library During Covid-19
Megan Demarest and Hannah G. Cortina
Ronald H. Aday, Meredith Huey Dye, and Nicole Cook
April N. Terry and Kelli Grant
Jeffery P. Dennis
Janette Richardson
Section III: Prison Education
- The History and Operation of Prison Education Programs Today
- Prison Education, Democracy, and Solidarity
- Reflection: Reflections on the Design, Administration, and Value of a Prison-College Course
- Reflection: Inside-Out
Ashley M. Appleby
Briana McGinnis and Kaitlyn Victoria
Benjamin Meade
Kaelyn Sanders
Section IV: Youth and Families
- The Juvenile Justice System’s Role in the Persistence of Mass Incarceration in America
- At the Breaking Point: The Impact of Mass Incarceration on Families
- Reflection: Transported to the Troubled Teen Industry
- Reflection: Musings on School Communities, Information Evasion, and the Children of Incarcerated Parents
Kristan Russell, William Ash-Houchen, Shantae M. Motley, and Vineeth Vijayan
Deirdre Caputo-Levine and Diamond Guitar-Judd
Heather E. Mooney
LeAnna T. Luney and Maya Luney-Ballew
Section V: Impacts and Consequences
- Collateral Consequences: The Intended and Unintended Burdens of Incarceration
- The Racial History and Contemporary Impacts of Felon Disenfranchisement
- Trapped in an Epicenter: COVID-19’s Impact on People Incarcerated in Prisons
- Reflection: Punitive Responses to Juvenile Behavior
Cody Warner and Nikki Michaels
Elyshia Aseltine
Tiana M. Herring
April N. Terry
Section VI: Reentry
- Reuniting Justice-Involved Fathers to their Families – The Impact on Desistance
- The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Re-Entry
- Embracing Hope: Stories of Successful Reentry Experiences
- Reflection: The Reality of Reentry
Patricia Becker and Lin Liu
Andrea Beláňová,Tereza Trejbalová, and Jan Tomášek
Emily I. Troshynski and Carolyn Willis
Emily Sorenson
Section VII: Ending Mass Incarceration
- Mass incarceration, reproductive injustice, and the need for abolitionist solutions
- "Today’s Lynching is Incarceration": Critical Race Theory, Mass Incarceration, and Prison Abolition
- Enacting a World Beyond Policing
- Decriminalizing Substance Use Disorders to Combat Mass Incarceration
- Reflection: Prisons we do not deserve
Ashley Kilmer and Maria João Lobo Antunes
Yola Gomez and Paddy Farr
Alia Nahra
Leslie Scott
Arne Kvernvik Nilsen
Biography
Addrain Conyers, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Marist College. His scholarship focuses on public administration, social deviance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Vanessa Lynn, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Marist College. Her research interests include correctional rehabilitation programs, narrative criminology and restorative justice circles.
Margaret E. Leigey, Ph.D. is a Professor of Criminology at The College of New Jersey. Her research focuses on the correctional experiences of special populations, including older people, individuals serving life sentences, women, and juveniles incarcerated in adult facilities.