Handbook on Prisons and Jails

"Over the past 40 years, the use of jails and prisons has skyrocketed. Once reserved for a select few, we now use jails and prisons to incapacitate a wide range of people without really understanding how this massive system affects the people who live in them. The editors have brought together a robust set of authors to share a fresh perspective on the impact the carceral system has on the people who live and work in the system, how policy and reforms have shaped the current landscape, and ultimately, how we may want to approach the methodological challenges of studying the impact that jails and prisons have on the people they are serving. This handbook is a must have for any scholars interested in gaining a better understanding of how the carceral settings truly impact the people who are housed within."
Brian Lovins, Ph.D.,Principal, Justice System Partners

"This volume is a significant contribution to carceral studies. Chapters represent the full depth of knowledge on jails and prisons with painstaking international reach. More importantly, the volume is a first at displaying interdisciplinary efforts bringing together vast topics in one book. It will surely make a permanent mark on how we view corrections for years to come."
Jason M. Williams, Ph.D.,Associate Professor of Justice Studies, Montclair State University

"Although the number of individuals incarcerated in jails and prisons in the United States has declined modestly over the last several years, the United States remains the most carceral western nation. Evidence suggests that jail and prison environments are harmful to both those incarcerated and those who staff and manage these facilities. This important volume brings together critical insight into multiple issues that remain sorely understudied on the nature and impacts of incarceration. This volume is a must-read for anyone who hopes to see or further carceral reform in the United States."
Pamela K Lattimore, Ph.D.,Senior Director for Research Development, Division for Applied Justice Research

"For those who want to know "what’s going on in prisons and jails," this is the volume to read. The rich chapters herein -- both orthodox and heterodox -- cover considerable territory as they interrogate and illuminate the structure and workings of prisons and jails and what that means for the people who inhabit these spaces. This remarkable volume is at once empirically grounded, theoretically informed, and pragmatic in terms of addressing real concerns that impact real people in real carceral spaces. It inspires us to learn more and do more, while also pointing to a path forward for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and advocates for reform."
Valerie Jenness,Distinguished Professor of Criminology, Law and Society University of California, Irvine