This course examines the institutions and policies that shape punishment in the United States, with a particular focus on mass incarceration. The U.S. incarceration rate has more than quadrupled since the early 1970s. In this course, students examine how the United States became the world's leader in incarceration and how racial and class disparities in imprisonment became so large. The course next investigates the consequences of incarceration, both in terms of its high rates and intense social concentration. The course concludes by assessing recent attempts to reform the criminal justice system.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU BA; AS SSC; AS SC
