From the Publisher: Explaining U.S. Imprisonment examines women in prison, minorities, the historical path to the modern prison, a wide range of contemporary issues, and social influences on prison reform. While focusing on prisons, this one-of-a-kind book is written within the context of the sociology of punishment and covers cutting-edge topics such as detaining immigrants, the War on Terror, and prison in the 21st century. Features: Uses a historical and social framework to place U.S.corrections and imprisonment policies in context; Includes first-hand accounts from inmates, as well as primary source documents written by early prison reformers; Integrates research on women, men, and minorities throughout, rather than separating each topic into a stand-alone chapter; Begins chapters with thought-provoking quotes to set the stage for the content that follows.