| Contents |
Punishment misunderstood -- The ratchet effect in theory -- The mixed signs in suffering -- The legal punishers -- The legally punished -- The punitive impulse in American society -- The law against itself -- Coda : the psychology of punishment. |
| Abstract |
Robert Ferguson diagnoses all parts of a massive, out-of-control punishment regime. Turning the spotlight on the plight of prisoners, he asks the American people, Do we want our prisons to be this way? Acknowledging the suffering of prisoners and understanding what punishers do when they punish are the first steps toward a better, more just system. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| LCCN | 2013034386 |
| ISBN | 9780674728684 (cloth : alk. paper) |
| ISBN | 0674728688 (cloth : alk. paper) |
