The Politics of Incarceration: Power, Policy, and Reform in the Age of Mass Imprisonment

By Wayne J. Gombar

Politics of Incarceration: Power, Policy, and the American Prison State

Why has the United States built the largest system of incarceration in the world? And what does this say about the nation's politics, its culture, and its future?

In Politics of Incarceration, W. J. Gombar traces the rise, persistence, and contested future of the American carceral state across more than three decades of policy, culture, and activism. From the political economy of rural prison towns to the racialized war on drugs, from the Supreme Court's legitimization of punitive policies to the advent of big data and predictive policing, this book reveals how deeply incarceration is embedded in U.S. governance.
Organized into thirty-one chapters, plus appendices, the book examines: How incarceration became an economic lifeline for struggling communities.The influence of political parties, lobbyists, and corporate profiteers.The intersection of incarceration with race, gender, immigration, and disability.The cultural narratives - from media to religion - that normalize punishment.Grassroots movements, abolitionist visions, and international models for decarceration.Far from a narrow history of prisons, this work shows incarceration as a mirror of American democracy itself - a system that governs inequality, citizenship, and dissent through punishment. It draws from history, sociology, law, and political science to deliver a sweeping, interdisciplinary account of mass incarceration's past, present, and possible futures.
Will incarceration remain the central tool of governance in the United States, or can new paradigms of justice - rooted in equity, dignity, and community - emerge? The answer will shape not only the prison system but the very trajectory of American democracy in the twenty-first century.

About the Author
W. J. Gombar is a researcher and writer with expertise in public policy, political economy, and contemporary social issues. Drawing on historical research, policy analysis, and cultural critique, Gombar brings together a wide-ranging perspective on one of the most urgent challenges of our time: the future of incarceration politics.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FRD79YKY
• ISBN13: 9798265726445
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 460 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.0"