Stateville penitentiary in Illinois has housed some of Chicago's most
infamous criminals and was proclaimed to be "the world's toughest
prison" by Joseph Ragen, Stateville's powerful warden from 1936 to
1961. It shares with Attica, San Quentin, and Jackson the notoriety of
being one of the maximum security prisons that has shaped the public's
conception of imprisonment. In Stateville James B. Jacobs, a
sociologist and legal scholar, presents the first historical
examination of a total prison organization—administrators, guards,
prisoners, and special interest groups. Jacobs applies Edward Shils's
interpretation of the dynamics of mass society in order to explain the
dramatic events of the past quarter century that have permanently
altered Stateville's structure. With the extension of civil rights to
previously marginal groups such as racial minorities, the poor, and,
ultimately, the incarcerated, prisons have moved from society's
periphery toward its center. Accordingly Stateville's control
mechanisms became less authoritarian and more legalistic and
bureaucratic. As prisoners' rights increased, the preogatives of the
staff were sharply curtailed. By the early 1970s the administration
proved incapable of dealing with politicized gangs, proliferating
interest groups, unionized guards, and interventionist courts. In
addition to extensive archival research, Jacobs spent many months
freely interacting with the prisoners, guards, and administrators at
Stateville. His lucid presentation of Stateville's troubled history
will provide fascinating reading for a wide audience of concerned
readers. ". . . [an] impressive study of a complex social
system."—Isidore Silver, Library Journal
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780226218830
Publisert
2018
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
University of Chicago Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter