Table of Contents

Why Consider Opposing Viewpoints? 11

Introduction 14

Chapter 1 What Problems Do America's Prisons Face?

Chapter Preface 18

1 The New Jim Crow Michelle Alexander 20

2 Too Many Prison Inmates? It's Not So Simple Morris B. Hoffman 28

3 The Prison System Is Broken Because of the War on Drugs Brian Mann 32

4 The Scariest Explanation for America's Vast Prison Population: We Want It That Way Jakub Wrzesniewski 38

5 The Private Prison System Is Dysfunctional and Cruel Brian Magee 45

6 Private Prisons Are Beneficial Erwin A. Blackstone Simon Hakim 51

Periodical and Internet Sources Bibliography 57

Chapter 2 Who Is in America's Prisons?

Chapter Preface 59

1 African Americans Are Overrepresented in Prisons Rina Palta 61

2 The African American Incarceration Rate Is the Result of African American Crime Jason L. Riley 68

3 Female Prisoners Should Receive Gender-Specific Attention Megan Quattlebaum 74

4 We Should Stop Putting Women in Jail. For Anything Patricia O'Brien 79

5 The Juvenile Detention System Is Broken Sara Mayeux 84

6 Juvenile Detention Can Be Effective James Swift 93

Periodical and Internet Sources Bibliography 101

Chapter 3 Are Prisoners Treated Humanely?

Chapter Preface 103

1 Solitary Confinement Is Torture-and Morally Wrong Heather Rice 105

2 Yes, Some Inmates Still Deserve Solitary Confinement Greg Dobbs 110

3 Food as Punishment: Giving U.S. Inmates 'The Loaf' Persists Eliza Barclay 114

4 Prisoner Disenfranchisement Is Wrong and Dangerous Jonathan Purtle 119

5 Prisoner Disenfranchisement Should Not Be Abandoned Hans A. von Spakovsky 125

Periodical and Internet Sources Bibliography 130

Chapter 4 Do Prison Alternatives Work?

Chapter Preface 132

1 Drug Courts Are Not a Good Alternative for Drug Offenders Margaret Dooley-Sammuli Nastassia Walsh 134

2 Drug Courts Are a Good Alternative for Drug Offenders Jessica Huseman 139

3 Electronic Monitoring Is an Effective Alternative to Incarceration Dylan Matthews 145

4 Electronic Monitoring Is Not an Effective Alternative to Incarceration James Kilgore 153

5 Public Shaming Is a Good Substitute for Imprisonment Brian Hampel 162

6 Public Shaming Is Not a Good Substitute for Imprisonment David M. Reutter 166

Periodical and Internet Sources Bibliography 178

For Further Discussion 179

Organizations to Contact 182

Bibliography of Books 187

Index 191