A Country Called Prison

Abstract

In the first edition of A Country Called Prison, John Carl and Mary Looman presented persuasive data calling for downsizing America’s prisons. Their novel approach continues in their second edition, shifting the beliefs many people have about prisons and their role in American society. The analogy of prison as a country is a novel way of looking at the issues of mass incarceration and addressing the latent, long-term consequences. In their second edition, Carl and Looman discuss the significant world events, such as the COVID epidemic, that impacted American society in the past decade, which led to an overall 20% reduction in prison populations across the board. The second edition includes a new chapter covering the history of prisons that clearly establishes the fact that prisons have always been about making money and less about rehabilitating offenders. They also introduce the new era of decarceration and desistance, encouraging courts to defer sentences and keep minor offenders at home with their families and in their communities while they work and attend education classes and mental health treatment. Once again Carl and Looman end their book with a rational and daring proposal—the Marshall Plan 2024—that envisions a way to bring the criminal justice system into the 21st century focusing on social equity and humane compassion for those who want to emigrate out of the Country Called Prison.