A powerful critique of mass incarceration by the people who have
experienced it
Inside
Knowledge is the first
book to examine the American prison system through the eyes of those
who are trapped within it. Drawing from the writings collected in the
American Prison Writing Archive, Doran Larson deftly illustrates how
mass incarceration does less to contain any harm perpetrated by
convicted people than to spread and perpetuate harm among their
families and communities.
Inside
Knowledge makes a
powerful argument that America’s prisons not only degrade and
debilitate their wards but also defeat the prison’s cardinal
missions of rehabilitation, containment, deterrence, and even
meaningful retribution.
If
prisons are places where convicted people are sent to learn a lesson,
then imprisoned people are the ones who know just what American
prisons actually teach. At once profound and devastating, Inside
Knowledge is an
invaluable resource for those interested in addressing mass
incarceration in America.
