Kind and Usual Punishment: The Prison Business

by Jessica Mitford

Book Overview

First published in 1974, The American Prison Business studies the lunacies, the delusions, and the bizarre inner workings of the American prison business. From the first demonstration that the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394476026
• ISBN13: 9780394476025
• Release Date: January 1973
• Publisher: Not Avail
• Length: 340 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Thought provoking analysis of prison effectiveness

Jessica Mitford gives an in depth analysis of how prisons function in society. She reviews the state of literature at the time. Most interesting was a study in which they hired people to pretend they were in prison for a month and others to act as guards. The study had to be disbanded early because of the extreme psychological impact on both "prisoners" and "guards." Chilling! Oh yes! The title! If it is legal punishment under the constitution it must be "Kind and Usual" because the other kind is unconstitutional.

It, sadly, is true

In the past almost three years, I have been corresponding with a dozen or more women in, primarily, the Texas prisons (TDCJ). What the author of this book says is sadly so true. America just wants to lock up its problems, get free labor, and oil the economy of the outlying areas where the "units" are located. This is a must read for anyone that votes