Central Prison : a history of North Carolina's State Penitentiary / Gregory S. Taylor.
| Author/creator | Taylor, Gregory S. author. |
| Format | Book |
| Publication | Baton Rouge : Louisiana State University Press, [2021] |
| Description | x, 314 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | The Penitentiary Argument -- The Civil War Era and the Penitentiary -- Construction Begins -- Politicizing the Penitentiary -- Convict Leasing -- Completing the Penitentiary -- The First Two Decades -- The Explosive Powers of Fusion -- The Era of High Hopes -- "An Almost Perfect Law" -- George Pou -- O. Max Gardner -- The Depression Years -- Death Penalty Reforms -- The MacCormick Report -- Freedom -- Rights and Rebellion -- The Women Fight Back -- A Prison Union -- New Prison, Old Problems -- Overcrowding -- The Ten-Year Plan -- Corruption and Controversy -- Mental Health -- Isolation. |
| Abstract | "Gregory Taylor's Central Prison is the first scholarly history of the North Carolina State Penitentiary. Taylor explores the entire history of the prison, from its origins in the 1870s up to the present. Throughout, he addresses other elements of the state's prison system, including chain gangs, the Women's Prison, and local jails, but always with an eye toward how those institutions affect the penitentiary. Additionally, in order to demonstrate the reciprocal influence the state and the prison have on each other, he incorporates vital elements of the state's history into his analysis. Taylor shows how Central Prison, like the state, struggled with issues of race, gender, sectionalism, political infighting, finances, and progressive reform. Finally, he explores the evolution of penal policy, focusing on how those procedures shaped the prison experience of the state's inmates. Taylor's study focuses on more than the institution itself through an exploration of the men and women who administered it, the prisoners who served time in it, and the politicians who set its policy. His work examines issues of reform, rehabilitation, political intrigue, philosophy, and psychology. Indeed, the work provides perspectives on penal development and policy from the purview of inmates, guards, administrators, politicians, and the public, thus offering a wide range of insights into what works, what does not, and why. Taylor's book is sure to appeal to a wide array of academics, including historians searching for new ways to understand the history of North Carolina and scholars of criminal justice and penology interested in the efficacy of Central Prison"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Issued in other form | Online version: Taylor, Gregory S. Central Prison. Baton Rouge : Louisiana State University Press, [2020] 9780807174876 |
| Genre/form | History. |
| LCCN | 2020028532 |
| ISBN | 9780807174333 hardcover |
| ISBN | 0807174335 hardcover |
| ISBN | electronic book |
| ISBN | electronic publication |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyner | Item has been checked out | HV8353 .T38 2021 | Due 10/10/2026 | Want This? |