Punishment in America

From the Salem witch trials to death row, this work is a gripping analysis of the evolution of punishment practices, policies, and problems in America.

From Puritan ducking stools to boot camps and supermax prisons, Punishment in America investigates the evolution of punishment in the United States. Intriguing inquiries into penitentiaries, parole, capital punishment, and other sanctions reveal how the rationales behind them—retribution, rehabilitation, and deterrence—reflect changes in society, culture, and values.

Reaching beyond the typical focus on prisons and incarceration to extralegal lynchings and vigilante operations and the treatment of the poor and the mentally challenged, this remarkable review also explores the impact of stricter laws on pedophiles and drug offenders and the effect of three-strikes legislation and truth in sentencing. This thought-provoking work will help readers understand the conflicting roles that punishment has played in delivering justice and promoting rehabilitation.

• A chronology tracking the history of punishment in the United States begins with ancient practices like blood feuds
• A chapter on facts and data presents studies on the impact of the war on drugs and the truth-in-sentencing laws on the prison population