America is the most punitive nation in the world, incarcerating more than 2.3 million people—or one in 136 of its residents. Against the backdrop of this unpr

The statistics are startling. Since 1973, America’s imprisonment rate has multiplied over five times to become the highest in the world. More than two million

Against the backdrop of unprecedented mass imprisonment, punishment permeates everyday American life, carrying with it complex cultural meanings. This study sho

Philip Smith attacks the comfortable notion that punishment is about justice, reason and law. Instead, he argues that punishment is an essentially irrational ac

This innovative introductory textbook to the growing field of cultural criminology examines the importance of understanding the cultural contexts in which crime