Necropolitics: The Religious Crisis of Mass Incarceration in America

Necropolitics: The Religious Crisis of Mass Incarceration in America explores how the criminalization and othering of Black people during times of crisis has become a significant part of the religious meaning of America, leading to the persistence of mass incarceration. It traces representations from the Puritan era to the War on Drugs to demonstrate how these images have become accepted as fact and used by governance to wield the power to punish indiscriminately.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 162 pages
Publication date: 15 May 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

Necropolitics: The Religious Crisis of Mass Incarceration in America delves into the pervasive and enduring impact of mass incarceration on American society. Christophe D. Ringer contends that the persistence of mass incarceration is largely attributed to the othering and criminalization of Black individuals during times of crisis, which holds a significant place in the religious significance of America. This book explores representations spanning from the Puritan era to the onset of the War on Drugs in the 1980s, highlighting their central role in this matter. Through its examination, it unveils how these images have been widely accepted as factual and utilized by various governance entities to wield arbitrary punishment. Ringer further elucidates how these dehumanizing portrayals perpetuate racism and contribute to the political economy, fostering a politics of death that relies on jails and prisons to mask social inequalities and political exclusion.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793626813