Unusually cruel : prisons, punishment, and the real American exceptionalism

297 Pages·2017·2.982 MB·English

by  Howard, Marc Morjé

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Unusually Cruel
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UNUSUALLY
CRUEL
Prisons, Punishment, and the
Real American Exceptionalism
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MARC MORJÉ HOWARD
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© Oxford University Press 2017
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ISBN 978–0–19–065934–9 (pbk)
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For my friend and inspiration,
Marty Tankleff
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Contents
List of Figures and Table  ix
Preface  xi
1. Introduction 1
2. Plea Bargaining 24
3. Sentencing 41
4. Prison Conditions 61
5. Rehabilitation 86
6. Parole 107
7. Societal Reentry 131
8. Explaining American Punitiveness:
Race, Religion, Politics, and Business 149
9. Conclusion 185
Notes 201
References  233
Index 267
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List of Figures and Table
Figures
1.1 Number of Incarcerated Americans
and Incarceration Rate, 1880–2 014  6
1.2 Americans under Some Form of Carceral
Supervision, 1980– 2014  7
1.3 Incarceration Rate per 100,000, by Gender, Race,
and Ethnicity, 2014  8
1.4 Lifetime Likelihood of Imprisonment of
U.S. Residents Born in 2001  9
1.5 Incarceration Rate per 100,000 People,
by Country (2015)  9
1.6 Pre- Trial Detainees and Remand Prisoners
per 100,000 People, by Country (2014)  10
1.7 Juvenile Prisoners per 100,000 Aged 10–1 7,
by Country (2003– 2004)  11
1.8 Female Prisoners per 100,000, by Country (2015)  11
1.9 Incarceration Rate per 100,000 People, 1971–2 015  12
1.10 Change in Violent and Property Crime Compared
to Prisoner and Total Population, 1960– 2012  16
3.1 Number of People in the U.S. Serving Life Sentences,
1984– 2012   45
3.2 Number of People in the U.S. Serving LWOP
Sentences, 1992– 2012  46
4.1 Mule Creek State Prison (August 2008)   71
4.2 California Institution for Men (August 2006)   71