A
crucial book for our current moment, uncovering the history of mass
incarceration in the United States and engaging with the major
challenges of contemporary prison and police abolition activism.
Inspired by the George Floyd Rebellion, States of Incarceration
examines the ongoing reconfiguration of mass incarceration as crucial
for understanding how race, class, and punishment shape America
today. The rise of mass incarceration has coincided with massive
disinvestment in working-class communities, particularly communities
of color, and a commitment to criminalize poverty, addiction, and
interpersonal violence. As Jarrod Shanahan and Zhandarka Kurti argue,
the present is a moment of transition and potential reform of
incarceration and, by extension, the American justice system. States
of Incarceration provides insights into the rise of mass
incarceration and its recent history while focusing on the needs of
campaigners struggling with the issues of police and prison
abolition, as well as the challenges that lie ahead. It is essential
reading for anyone concerned with these questions.