The Insidious Momentum of American Mass Incarceration: Zimring, Franklin E.

The Insidious Momentum of American Mass Incarceration is a comprehensive analysis of the factors driving the phenomenal growth of penal confinement in the United States.

The book provides a detailed examination of the roles played by both the federal system and state governments in this growth, as well as changes in law enforcement, prosecution, and criminal sentencing that have contributed to the 400% increase in rates of imprisonment since 1970.

The author proposes a range of strategies for reducing prison populations and promoting rational policies of criminal punishment, arguing that the most powerful enemy to these efforts lies in the mundane facets of state and local government such as elections of prosecutors and state support for prison budgets.

This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the complex issues surrounding mass incarceration in the United States and how to combat it.