Shackled and Chained: Mass Incarceration in Capitalist America

Shackled and Chained, Mass Incarceration in Capitalist America is a thorough examination of mass incarceration, its causes and consequences. Eugene Puryear examines the evolution of mass incarceration as a product of U.S. monopoly capitalism as well as bipartisan political allegiance to the system’s needs. In addition to detailing its historical origins, Puryear provides a detailed examination of the oppressive reality that reigns inside America’s prison system. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the “how” and “why” of mass incarceration as well as for those seeking a factual account of what it is truly like “inside.”

From Shackled and Chained, Mass Incarceration in Capitalist America

“There can be no universal theory for ‘crime,’ because it is defined by the shifting boundaries of the law and law enforcement, and the objectives of a given ruling class. ... As an example, some of the most gratuitous forms of theft—daily exploitation at the job, usurious interest rates, bank bailouts—are considered completely legal, and the perpetrators are in fact rewarded. One can receive a stiff sentence for robbing a bank; but when a bank systematically robs society as a whole, no one goes to jail.”