Original essays by corrections experts The United States has the lightest incarceration rate in the world and crime is one of the major driving forces of political discourse throughout the country. Information about penal institutions, imprisonment, and prisoners is important to everyone, from judges on the bench to citizens on the street. Now for the first time, a comprehensive reference work presents a full overview of incarceration in America. The Encyclopedia features original essays by leading U.S. corrections experts, who offer historical perspectives, insights into how and why the present prison system developed, where we are today, and where we are likely to be in the future. Every important aspect of American prisons is covered, from the handling of convicts with AIDS to juvenile delinquents behind bars, from boot camps to life without parole, from racial conflict to sexual exploitation. Features more than 160 signed articles More than 160 signed articles by recognized authorities are presented alphabetically by topic. The articles, ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 words, provide an overview of each subject and include a selective bibliography. The coverage introduces readers to individuals noted for their work with prisons (James Bennett, Dorothea Dix, Howard Gill); facilities renowned for setting precedents (Walnut Street Jail, Alcatraz, Marion); current policy, procedure, and program-oriented descriptions (contraband, boot camps, classification, technology); concise discussions of current prison issues (prisoners' rights, gangs, visits by the children of incarcerated women). Frequently the articles chart the historical evolution of a subject area, explore current issues, and predict future trends. Discusses vital issues The Encyclopedia also surveys and analyzes policies and procedures used in the past, such as chain gangs, building tenders, and Sacred Straight programs, as well as legislation that has shaped prison policy (such as the Ashurst-Summers Act and the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act). Offering a wealth of useful facts, this important new reference work contains a comprehensive name and subject index, internal cross-references, and a chronology of important events in prison history. The coverage encompasses historical and contemporary aspects of correctional institutions in the United States, discusses vital issues, and reports on the latest reaching findings. Photos of notable people and facilities accompany the text. This unique work fills a substantial reference need. Government officials, librarians, teachers, students, and professionals working within the corrections field will the coverage invaluable. Many Americans believe more and longer incarceration is the answer to exploding crime, yet they know little about prisons except what they learn from movies and sensationalized press accounts. This encyclopedia is therefore welcome as an objective, reliable, and authoritative source of current information about U.S. penal institutions. Prepared by academics and aimed at serious students, it contains more than 150 signed articles covering prison history, operations, problems, and social and legal issues. On the negative side, the writing tends to be textbookish, recent trends are occasionally ignored (as in the article "Chain Gangs"), and the index lacks consistency (e.g., check out Leavenworth). But, overall, this new work compares well with Vergil Williams's standard Dictionary of American Penology (Greenwood, 1987. 2d ed.). Enthusiastically recommended for larger reference collections.?Ken Kister, author of "Best Encyclopedias," Tampa, Fla. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. The incarceration rate in the U.S. is now among the highest in the world, and crime remains a major social and political issue facing our nation. Information about penal institutions, imprisonment, and prisoners is critical to criminal justice professionals and concerned citizens alike. The Encyclopedia of American Prisons offers an overview of incarceration in America in more than 160 essays written by a variety of corrections experts, largely from the academic and research community. The volume opens with a very brief "Chronology of American Prison History" from 1773 to 1993, followed by the signed articles, arranged alphabetically by topic. An index provides additional access to topics, cases, and individual names. Although organization and treatment of the topics within each essay vary, most articles contain some type of historical discussion to frame the issue, explanations of important developments and trends within the topic, and a bibliography for further reading. From the brief essay Riots , for example, the reader gains a sense of the causes and costs of prison riots since the first in 1774 and is left with some direction for further research. Biographies of significant individuals in prison history, such as penal reformer Katharine Bement Davis, are included, as are historie