Introduction: What and How We Punish.

Part of a special issue on incarceration and punishment in the U.S. The writer introduces articles by M. Tonry, J. J. Donohoe III, A. V. Hirsch, and D. Garland that appear in this issue on pp. 353–466. These articles explore the “what” and “how” of criminal punishment in the U.S. The proliferatio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social Research Vol. 74; no. 2; pp. 349 - 353
Main Author: Jacobs, James B.
Format: Article
Published: New School for Social Research Summer 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:Part of a special issue on incarceration and punishment in the U.S. The writer introduces articles by M. Tonry, J. J. Donohoe III, A. V. Hirsch, and D. Garland that appear in this issue on pp. 353–466. These articles explore the “what” and “how” of criminal punishment in the U.S. The proliferation of criminal laws has probably made little contribution to the rise in rates of incarceration since the mid-1970s. Rather, this phenomenon is more likely due to the greater enforcement of laws already on the statute books. The overall explanation for more severe sentencing can be found in a basic rightward shift in U.S. politics.