Imprisonment and Incarceration Patterns, Prospects and Psychological Implications

Aside from capital punishment, incarceration represents the most severe and most costly punishment that state governments can administer to its citizens. The use of incarceration has garnered increasing attention over the years, particularly in the United States where incarcerated populations have undergone approximately forty years of nearly continuous growth. In examining the differences in prisonization and survival strategies between the sexes, research has found that male inmates often enlist gang members for protection, while women recreate family for emotional support. This book examines the conventional identities of both sexes behind the walls of imprisonment, and global trends in incarceration. The book also contributes to the discussion on the education of women in situations of deprivation of liberty and provides an in-depth investigation of reform through interpreting how a selected group of men who have desisted from heroin-use understand and present their change process. Finally, this book discusses the psychological implications of being incarcerated and the patterns and prospects of imprisonment.