With Liberty For Some: 500 Years of Imprisonment in America [Paperback]

Scott Christianson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1555534686 | ISBN-13: 978-1555534684 | Publication Date: October 19, 2000

A sweeping history of imprisonment in the United States, shedding new light on the important, yet disconcerting, role that incarceration has played in shaping the American experience.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The key word in the subtitle is "imprisonment," for although much of this book is a history of the U.S. prison system, it is also an examination of the whole notion of imprisonment, whether as a slave, as (according to the author) a member of a utopian community such as the Shakers or as an inmate at Sing Sing. Christianson (a former newspaper reporter now associated with the New York State Defenders Association) offers an accessible, if curiously unfocused, account that includes a quick history of the African slave trade, a glimpse at how the British treated American prisoners of war during the Revolutionary War, grim scenes from early prisons in New York and Pennsylvania, descriptions of Civil War, stories of famous wardens and convicts (the Scottsboro Boys, Sacco and Vanzetti, Marcus Garvey), accounts of notorious prison riots and?finally?the rise of the prison business, which Christianson convincingly argues is now a mainstay of the American economy. The book sometimes wanders far afield (what's the early history of the Mormon Church doing here?) while other germane subjects are left uncovered (he gives limited serious attention, for instance, to the theories of criminology and prison architecture that made 19th-century America a mecca for penologists, or to how typical prisoners now spend their days). The author is a skillful storyteller with an eye for unexpected information, but his apparent zeal to impart a lot of information often interferes with his message.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The author, policy associate and director of the Death Penalty Documentation Project of the New York State Defenders Association, has produced a penetrating, thought-provoking account of over 500 years of imprisonment in America. This work is especially noteworthy for its cogent examination of the nexus between incarceration and slavery throughout American history, making it a seminal chronicle of this nation's prison heritage. Christianson emphasizes the often less-than-subtle paradox in American history of a nation committed to the pursuit of individual liberties yet apparently equally committed to maintaining the largest penal complex in the world. What also marks this as a compelling account is the author's inclusion of personal stories of prisoners and guards alike. This excellent, exhaustive examination of our criminal justice system appears at a crucial time, given the level of resources committed to incarceration and the concomitant debate about their effectiveness. Anyone who wishes to understand more clearly the seriousness of the debate should read this account. Recommended for all libraries.?Stephen Kent Shaw, Northwest Nazarene Coll., Nampa, ID
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Northeastern (October 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555534686
• ISBN-13: 978-1555534684
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #822,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Anyone Who Thinks Prison is Fair--Read This Book, December 28, 2002

By 

Alan Mills (Chicago, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: With Liberty For Some: 500 Years of Imprisonment in America (Hardcover)

This exhaustive study of the criminal justice/prison system in America proves beyond doubt that the criminal justice sytem is biased against minorities, political dissidents, and (always) the poor.

From colonial times to the present, horrors have been committd in the name of justice. What is so disturbing is that today, 500 years later, many of the exact same abuses continue. Women are raped. Men are beaten, and almost no one is rehabilitated.

Why is it that prisons are the only industry where one can fail over and over, and the only consequence is that we build more and more of the exact same thing?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great and enlightening book., February 1, 2005

By 

William Lugo (Manchester, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: With Liberty For Some: 500 Years of Imprisonment in America (Hardcover)

I use this book every year in my Deviant Behavior class. While it is not the most exciting book, it does an amazing job of showing how our penal system developed. Though hundreds of years have passed, and many amendments have been made, it is still very much the same.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Genesis of American Labor, November 17, 2010

By 

Mohamed A El-Hodiri (Lawrence, KS USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: With Liberty For Some: 500 Years of Imprisonment in America (Hardcover)

With Liberty For Some: 500 Years of Imprisonment in America

This beautiful book with such a misleading title appears to be a book about prisons! Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is a book about the formation of the labor, force in the USA. Starting at colonial times with colonies exposed as for profit business enterprises which acquired labor in the form of children kidnapped from the streets of European Cities and sold on the Eastern Sea Shore by their owner; the captain of the ship that brought them there. The slaver y was for the lifetime of the slave, so the offspring were free. Free but penniless and beholden to the employer for the job. The fear and worship of the business honor was ground into their bones using the whip, increasing work quota, and prison. Great scholarship, self-effacing style, but very accessible book. I claim that you will understand (several things, e.g. why most people feel they are entitled to nothing!) .a lot better after you read this book.