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The Politics of Incarceration: Power, Policy, and Reform in the Age of Mass Imprisonment
Paperback
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ISBN13: 9798265726445
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Sep 16 2025
Pages: 462
Weight: 1.35
Height: 0.93 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Sep 16 2025
Pages: 462
Weight: 1.35
Height: 0.93 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Politics of Incarceration: Power, Policy, and the American Prison State Why has the United States built the largest system of incarceration in the world? And what does this say about the nation's politics, its culture, and its future? In Politics of Incarceration, W. J. Gombar traces the rise, persistence, and contested future of the American carceral state across more than three decades of policy, culture, and activism. From the political economy of rural prison towns to the racialized war on drugs, from the Supreme Court's legitimization of punitive policies to the advent of big data and predictive policing, this book reveals how deeply incarceration is embedded in U.S. governance.
Organized into thirty-one chapters, plus appendices, the book examines:
Will incarceration remain the central tool of governance in the United States, or can new paradigms of justice - rooted in equity, dignity, and community - emerge? The answer will shape not only the prison system but the very trajectory of American democracy in the twenty-first century. About the Author
W. J. Gombar is a researcher and writer with expertise in public policy, political economy, and contemporary social issues. Drawing on historical research, policy analysis, and cultural critique, Gombar brings together a wide-ranging perspective on one of the most urgent challenges of our time: the future of incarceration politics.
- How incarceration became an economic lifeline for struggling communities.
- The influence of political parties, lobbyists, and corporate profiteers.
- The intersection of incarceration with race, gender, immigration, and disability.
- The cultural narratives - from media to religion - that normalize punishment.
- Grassroots movements, abolitionist visions, and international models for decarceration.
Will incarceration remain the central tool of governance in the United States, or can new paradigms of justice - rooted in equity, dignity, and community - emerge? The answer will shape not only the prison system but the very trajectory of American democracy in the twenty-first century. About the Author
W. J. Gombar is a researcher and writer with expertise in public policy, political economy, and contemporary social issues. Drawing on historical research, policy analysis, and cultural critique, Gombar brings together a wide-ranging perspective on one of the most urgent challenges of our time: the future of incarceration politics.
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