One of the most important problems faced by the United States is addressing its broken criminal justice system. This collection of essays offers a thorough examination of incarceration as a form of punishment. In addition to focusing on the philosophical aspects related to punishment, the volumes diverse group of contributors provides additional background in criminology, economics, law, and sociology to help contextualize the philosophical issues. The first group of essays addresses whether or not our current institutions connected with punishment and incarceration are justified in a liberal society. The next set of chapters explores the negative effects of incarceration as a form of punishment, including its impact on children and families. The volume then describes how we arrived at our current situation in the United States, focusing on questions related to how we view prisons and prisoners, policing for profit, and the motivations of prosecutors in trying to secure convictions. Finally, Rethinking Punishment in the Era of Mass Incarcerationexamines specific policy alternatives that might offer solutions to our current approach to punishment and incarceration.
Introduction Why do we punish?
Chris W. Surprenant
Chapter 1 The Problem of Punishment
John Hasnas
Chapter 2 Unconscionable Punishment
Michael Huemer
Chapter 3 The Coproduction of Justice
Nathan Goodman
Chapter 4 The Certainty of Punishment and the Proportionality of Incarceration
Chris Barker
Chapter 5 Imprisonment and the Right to Freedom of Movement
Robert Hughes
Chapter 6 Are there Expressive Restraints on Incarceration?
Bill Wringe&llă"
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