Inside Knowledge: Incarcerated People on the Failures of the American Prison [Hardcover]

2025 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title

A powerful critique of mass incarceration by the people who have experienced it

Inside Knowledgeis the first book to examine the American prison system through the eyes of those who are trapped within it. Drawing from the writings collected in the American Prison Writing Archive, Doran Larson deftly illustrates how mass incarceration does less to contain any harm perpetrated by convicted people than to spread and perpetuate harm among their families and communities.

Inside Knowledgemakes a powerful argument that Americas prisons not only degrade and debilitate their wards but also defeat the prisons cardinal missions of rehabilitation, containment, deterrence, and even meaningful retribution.

If prisons are places where convicted people are sent to learn a lesson, then imprisoned people are the ones who know just what American prisons actually teach. At once profound and devastating,Inside Knowledgeis an invaluable resource for those interested in addressing mass incarceration in America.

Doran Larsonis Edward North Professor of Literature at Hamilton College. He is the author ofWitness in the Era of Mass Incarceration,editor ofFourth City: Essays from the Prison in America,and founded and co-directs The American Prison Writing Archive (prisonwitness.org). As this compelling text shows, filling in longstanding silences about what prisons actually do may have far-reaching and desperately needed benefits for those inside and outside the institutions walls. Profound reflections on the unacknowledged inhumanity of the nations prisons. Larsons dedication to challenging the usual conversations about mass incarceration by showcasing voices of the imprisoned highlights many faults and some solutions. An important addition to the discussion around this urgent subject. A powerful indictment of American prisons for failing at their ostel#«