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The Rise of America's Prison Empire: A National Disgrace

Elias Mitchell

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Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire

by Robert Perkinson

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1056 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
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Print length	:	490 pages

By Michelle Alexander

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with over 2 million people behind bars. This staggering number is a direct result of the country's failed drug war and harsh sentencing laws. The Rise of America's Prison Empire: A National Disgrace tells the tragic story of how the United States became a nation of prisoners.

Through extensive research and interviews with prisoners, guards, and policymakers, author Michelle Alexander exposes the systemic racism and inequality that have fueled the prison boom. Alexander argues that the prison system is not a solution to crime, but rather a symptom of a deeper problem: the failure of the United States to address the root causes of poverty and inequality.

The Rise of America's Prison Empire is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the true cost of mass incarceration.

Reviews

"The Rise of America's Prison Empire is a powerful and disturbing book that exposes the systemic racism and inequality that have fueled the prison boom. Alexander's writing is clear, concise, and persuasive. She makes a compelling case that the prison system is not a solution to crime, but rather a symptom of a deeper problem: the failure of the United States to address the root causes of poverty and inequality." - The New York Times

"The Rise of America's Prison Empire is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the true cost of mass incarceration. Alexander's book is a powerful indictment of the system, and it should spark a national conversation about how we can end this national disgrace." - The Washington Post

About the Author

Michelle Alexander is a civil rights lawyer, legal scholar, and author. She is a professor of law at Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Alexander is the author of the critically acclaimed book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. She is a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and the Lannan Cultural Freedom Fellowship.