Imprisoning Communities How Mass Incarceration Makes Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Worse |
|
| Author:
| Clear, Todd R. |
| Series title: | Studies in Crime and Public Policy Ser. |
| ISBN: | 978-0-19-538720-9 |
| Publication Date: | Mar 2009 |
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press, Incorporated
|
| Book Format: | Paperback |
| List Price: | USD $39.99 |
Book Description:
|
In the first detailed, empirical exploration of the effects of mass incarceration on poor places, Imprisoning Communities demonstrates that in high doses incarceration contributes to the very social problems it is intended to solve: it breaks up family and social networks; deprives siblings, spouses, and parents of emotional and financial support; and threatens the economic and political infrastructure of already struggling neighborhoods. Especially at risk are children who, research...
More DescriptionIn the first detailed, empirical exploration of the effects of mass incarceration on poor places, Imprisoning Communities demonstrates that in high doses incarceration contributes to the very social problems it is intended to solve: it breaks up family and social networks; deprives siblings, spouses, and parents of emotional and financial support; and threatens the economic and political infrastructure of already struggling neighborhoods. Especially at risk are children who, research shows, are more likely to commit a crime if a father or brother has been to prison. Clear makes the counterintuitive point that when incarceration concentrates at high levels, crime rates will go up. Removal, in other words, has exactly the opposite of its intended effect: it destabilizes the community, thus further reducing public safety.