Mass Incarceration in America : A Reference Handbook (Contemporary World Issues)

On a per capita basis, the United States incarcerates a higher percentage of its population than any other nation in the world. This book explains the social, economic, and political forces that account for this controversial distinction through features that include context-setting introductory chapters, illuminating primary documents, informative biographical and organizational profiles, a detailed timeline of events and trends related to incarceration in the USA, and personal essays contributed by administrators, researchers, educators, and people with firsthand experience of life behind bars.