Lockdown America

From the publisher:

Why is criminal justice so central to American politics? Lockdown America not only documents the horrors and absurdities of militarized policing, prisons, a fortified border, and the federalization of the war on crime, it also explains the political and economic history behind the massive crackdown. Written in accessible and vivid prose, Lockdown America will propel readers toward a deeper understanding of the links between crime and politics in a period of gathering economic crisis.

"The story no one wants to hear: The rise of the Dow has been accompanied by the lock down of the penitentiary state. A chilling book."
-- Stephen Duncombe, author of Notes from Underground

Parenti's exhaustively documented text deserves a full hearing from anyone serious about ending the often horrific realities of the criminal justice system.
--Washington Post Book World

Lockdown America is a fast read, angry and compelling.
-- Philadelphia City Paper

This dark, unflinching look at what our nation has become . . . cannot fail to generate serious thought about issues we prefer to lock away in darkness.
-- Christian Science Monitor

The book is in the best tradition of investigative journalism, paced like a fine novel, it carries the authority of meticulous academic research.
-- The Independent