Why Does America Have So Many Prisons?

This week, as Trump promises to make America great again.. again, I want to find out more about the prison system. In some states, up to 10% of budgets are allocated to correctional facilities, and yet incarceration rates and the costs continue to rise, while issues around systemic racism and politics continue to plague its reputation and put question marks over its effectiveness. So in this episode, I want to know… why does America have so many prisons?

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Special guest for this episode:

• Nicholas Grant, a historian of the twentieth century United States at the University of East Anglia, researching race, internationalism and transnational activism.
• Heather Ann Thompson, a historian at the University of Michigan, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy. She was also the historical consultant for the Oscar-nominated documentary ATTICA.

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Highlights from this episode:

• The American prison system has a staggering rate of incarceration, with more people locked up per capita than any other country, indicating a severe failure in addressing social issues.
• Historically, prisons in the United States have disproportionately housed poor individuals and people of color, revealing deep-seated racial disparities in the justice system.
• Despite some reforms, the prison system in America has not shifted towards rehabilitation; rather, it continues to operate as a mechanism for social control and economic profit.
• The narrative surrounding crime and punishment in the U.S. has often been driven by racial politics, with a history of policies targeting marginalized communities under the guise of public safety.
• The prison population remains predominantly non-white, reflecting systemic inequalities, as African Americans and Latinos make up a significant portion of incarcerated individuals.
• Public perception and political rhetoric often frame incarceration as a solution to crime, but the reality is that it perpetuates cycles of poverty and violence in communities.

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Additional Resources:

Dr. Heather Ann Thompson - Pulitzer Prize Winner | Author | Speaker | Consultant

Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by Heather Ann Thompson

U.S. prisons - number of prisoners 2022 | Statista

Incarceration Rates by Country 2024

Global Prison Trends Report

How Much Does A Prisoner Cost Per Year USA? - Prison Inside

50 years after the US declared war on drugs, AP examines racial disparities | The Associated Press

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And if you like this episode, you might also love:

What Do We Get Wrong About the Civil Rights Movement?

What Challenge Does Black Lives Matter Present to America?

What is the Civil Rights Act?

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