The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison

The Rich Get Richer, the Poor Get Prison is a classic text that takes the issue of economic inequality seriously and asks why our prisons are filled with the poor. This new edition continues to engage readers in critical thinking exercises, such as why the U.S. relies so heavily on tough crime policies, why the U.S. has a high crime rate compared to other developed nations, and how much class bias is present in the criminal justice system. It presents extensive evidence from mainstream data that the criminal justice system does not function in the way it says it does or in the way that readers believe it should, and helps readers develop their own worldview.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 284 pages
Publication date: 25 April 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

For over four decades, this seminal work has taken the issue of economic inequality seriously, posing profound questions: Why are our prisons filled with the poor? Why are the tools of the criminal justice system not being utilized to safeguard Americans from predatory business practices and to punish affluent individuals who cause widespread harm?

This revised edition remains committed to engaging readers in critical thought-provoking exercises: Why has the United States relied so heavily on tough crime policies, despite evidence of their limited effectiveness? How much of the decline in crime rates can be attributed to these policies? Why does the United States have a higher crime rate compared to other developed nations, and what can be done to address this issue? Are the morally blameworthy harms of the rich and poor equally translated into criminal laws that protect the public from harms on the streets and harms from corporate suites? How much class bias exists in the criminal justice system, both when the rich and poor engage in the same acts and when the rich use their leadership of corporations to perpetrate mass victimization?

The Rich Get Richer, the Poor Get Prison serves as a powerful testament to the fact that much of what transpires within the criminal justice system goes against the fundamental principles of fairness. It presents extensive evidence from mainstream data that challenges the claims made by the system and the beliefs held by readers. The authors develop a theoretical framework from which readers can understand these failures and evaluate them morally, all within a concise and accessible text written in plain language.

While readers who may not fully subscribe to the larger theoretical perspective will still engage in extensive critical thinking to identify their own ingrained assumptions about crime and criminal justice, this book remains a valuable resource for those seeking to understand the complexities of economic inequality and the role of the criminal justice system in perpetuating it.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032437521
Edition number: 13 ed