The Growth of Incarceration in the United States examines research and analysis of the dramatic rise of incarceration rates and its affects. This study makes the case that the United States has gone far past the point where the numbers of people in prison can be justified by social benefits and has reached a level where these high rates of incarceration themselves constitute a source of injustice and social harm.
The Growth of Incarceration in the United States recommends changes in sentencing policy, prison policy, and social policy to reduce the nation's reliance on incarceration. The report also identifies important research questions that must be answered to provide a firmer basis for policy. The study assesses the evidence and its implications for public policy to inform an extensive and thoughtful public debate about and reconsideration of policies.
Table of Contents
Front Matter
Summary
1 Introduction
2 Rising Incarceration Rates
3 Policies and Practices Contributing to High Rates of
Incarceration
4 The Underlying Causes of Rising Incarceration: Crime, Politics,
and Social Change
5 The Crime Prevention Effects of Incarceration
6 The Experience of Imprisonment
7 Consequences for Health and Mental Health
8 Consequences for Employment and Earnings
9 Consequences for Families and Children
10 Consequences for Communities
11 Wider Consequences for U.S. Society
12 The Prison in Society: Values and Principles
13 Findings, Conclusions, and Implications
References
Appendix A: Supplementary Statement by Ricardo H. Hinojosa
Appendix B: Data Sources
Appendix C: Incarceration in the United States:A Research Agenda
Appendix D: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members
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