Federal Bureau of Prisons Home page for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons. It has statistics, documents, articles, and BOP history, and publications.
Prison Statistics Statistics and links to publications about prisons. (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
NCJRS: Prisons Publications and links from the federal government. (National Criminal Justice Reference Service)
Yahoo Full Coverage: Prisons News.
Corrections Statistics in Your State Click on your state and get the latest statistics. (National Institute of Corrections)
Prison An extensive slide show on prisons in the United States.
Departments of Corrections Links to each state’s and the federal government’s department of corrections. (Constitutional Rights Foundation)
A Model Prison This 1995 article discusses McKean, the federal correctional institution in Bradford, Pennsylvania, as a model for a new, more enlightened, and more effective prison system. (Atlantic Monthly)
Prisons in America An interview with the author of “A Model Prison.”
The Prisoners’ Accomplice This 1996 article argues that super-maximum-security facilities are an important part of the corrections system. (Policy Review)
Virtual Tour—Inside a Maximum Security Prison (Virginia Department of Corrections)
Supermaximum Security Prisons, Sensory Deprivation and Effects of Solitary Confinement A criticism of super-max prisons. (Madison Chapter of Amnesty International)
Yahoo Directory: Supermax Prisons
Corrections Resource Sites Links to corrections departments, corrections officers, and other corrections resources. (Officer.com)
Alcatraz: The Warden Johnston Years Extensive information about Alcatraz during the years 1933 to 1948, including photos, maps, reports, statistics, convict biographies, historical documents, a timeline, and links.
A Brief History of Alcatraz (Federal Bureau of Prisons)
Alcatraz Island: U.S. Penitentiary (National Parks Service)
Yahoo Directory: Alcatraz Island
Wilkinson, Reginald Commentary on the Wilkinson v. Austin case. (Medill, Northwestern University)
Hutto v. Finney (1978) U.S. Supreme Court decision describing poor prison conditions.
Estelle v. Gamble (1976) U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that the Eighth Amendment bans prison uncivilized or indecent prison conditions.
Rhodes v. Chapman (1981) U.S. Supreme Court decision holding that prison overcrowding does not necessarily violate the Eighth Amendment.
Prisoners Rights: Religious Freedom Cases, statutes, and news on this issue. (First Amendment Center)
Stanford Prison Experiment A classic psychological study of a simulation of guards and prisoners.
U.S. Prisons Reports on the conditions U.S. prisons. (Human Rights Watch)
The Prison Activist Resource Center (PARC) A source for progressive and radical information on prisons and the criminal prosecution system.
World Prison Population List Data on the number of prisoners held in some 180 independent countries and dependent territories. This publication is the basis for the chart on page 232 in the text.
Corrections Corporation of America This is the leading private sector provider of detention and corrections services to federal, state, and local governments.
The Prison Payoff: The Role of Politics and Private Prisons in the Incarceration Boom (PDF file) A study arguing that privatized prisons are leading to more prisoners. (Western Prison Project)
Corrections and Prisons Links and articles favoring private prisons. (Reason Foundation)
ACU Prison Privatization Links Links to articles opposing private prisons.
Yahoo Directory: Prison Privatization
Open Directory Project: Prison Privatization
Privatization of Prisons: The Public Policy Debate A good overview of the debate.
Emerging Issues on Privatized Prisons (Text) (PDF) A 2001 study that outlines the arguments, both for and against privatized prisons, reviews current literature on the subject, and examines issues that will have an impact on future privatization. (Bureau of Justice Assistance)
Correctional Recreation & Weightlifting in Prisons Information Site favoring recreational programs in prisons.
Attica Prison Riot A PBS interview with the mediator for Governor Rockefeller and an inmate participant.
Yahoo Directory: Attica Prison Riot
1980 Prison Riot a Black Mark on State’s History An examination of the 1980 riot at New Mexico State Prison.
Why Prisoners Riot This 1955 article by an ex-convict argues that prison riots usually start with a “small group of violently unstable men, usually at least mildly paranoid” who will only respond to strict discipline. (Atlantic Monthly)
Major Prison Gangs Detailed descriptions of the six major prison gangs that participate in organized crime and violence.
The Gangs Behind Bars Insight magazine article on prison gangs.
Looked Down: Gangs in the Supermax Report on how well supermax prisons are controlling prison gangs. (America RadioWorks)
Gangs Reach Out of Prison to Commit Crimes Three-part series on prison gangs. (National Public Radio)
The Problem of Gangs and Security Threat Groups (STG’s) in American Prisons Today: Recent Research Findings From the 2004 Prison Gang Survey (National Gang Crime Research Center)
Parole An extensive slide show on parole.
Wikipedia: Parole
Encyclopedia of Everyday Law: Probation and Parole
Yahoo Directory: Sirhan Sirhan
Probation and Parole Statistics Links to federal government statistics and publications. (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
Directory of State Parole Boards Links to state parole boards.
7th Step Foundation A non-profit organization working to help ex-convicts rebuild their lives.
NCJRS: In the Spotlight: Prisoner Reentry Facts & figures, legislation, publications, programs, and related resources.
