Course Description
This course addresses the history of incarceration both in the U.S. and the world, with an emphasis on the modern era (from the late 18th century to the present). The content will include early prison reform, international exchange, prison architecture, mass incarceration, prisoners’ rights, and the sociology of prisons.
Athena Title
Incarceration in History
Pre or Corequisite
One course in HIST or POLS or INTL or SOCI or SOWK or third- or fourth-year student standing
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
- At the end of the course the student will be able to understand the origins and transformation of modern incarceration.
- At the end of the course the student will be able to compare the evolution of incarceration in multiple parts of the world.
- At the end of the course the student will be able to explore in detail the history of modern incarceration in the United States.
Topical Outline
- 1. The Deep History of Incarceration
- 2. Early Prison Reform, 1750-1850
- 3. Utopian Prison Architecture
- 4. Case Studies: Early American Prison Reformers and Model Prisons
- 5. The Suffering Prisoner in International Relations and Law
- 6. International Exchange: Comparing Prisons Around the World
- 7. Wartime Incarceration
- 8. 20th-Century America: The Age of the “Big House”
- 9. Mass Incarceration
- 10. Prisoners’ Rights since 1945
- 11. The Sociology of Prisons in Contemporary America
- 12. Case Study: Guthrie vs. Evans
- 13. Research Project: Guthrie vs. Evans
- 14. Prisons and Prisoners in Popular Culture
- 15. Student Presentations: Incarceration Today and Tomorrow
