Contains a detailed discussion regarding the consequences of the US' addiction to incarceration. This work includes an analysis of crime policies as they relate to the crime rates and US society's ability to both lower the crime rate and address the role of incarceration in preventing future crime by ex-offenders and future potential offenders.

It gives students a view as to how effective our rush to incarcerate has been in the last decade.Race, ethnicity, and gender issues underlie all discussions and address key aspects of incarceration rates and crime trends.The final chapter contains conclusions and recommendations for future policy makers.Written for a sophomore level audience in an informal and accessible style. It features an evidence-based approach - long on facts short on philosophy which makes it more appropriate for a lower division undergraduate student. Each chapter will begin with a case study to motivate the discussions that follow. It gives students a 'human face' to help give perspective on the issues. The chapters will end with questions designed to help focus students on the key points.

Foreword by Michael D. Reisig Section I Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The Politics of Punishment in the United States Section II Chapter 3: Misinformation About the Crime Problem Chapter 4: Misinformation About Public Opinion Chapter 5: Misinformation About Prisons and Crime Control Section III Chapter 6: The Social Costs of Incarceration Chapter 7: Conclusions and Recommendations References