Course HIST 6390 History of Prisons and Punishment Professor Natalie J. Ring Term Fall 2015 Meetings Mon. 4:00-6:45

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1 Contact Information Course HIST 6390 History of Prisons and Punishment Professor Natalie J. Ring Term Fall 2015 Meetings Mon. 4:00-6:45 Phone: Office: JO Hours: Wednesday 4:30-6:30 or by appointment Course Description Scholars and the public have long been fascinated with the history of crime, punishment, and prisons. Yet in recent years, interest in the subject has exploded. Partly this is due to the fact that the prison population in the United States has increased by 500% in the past thirty years; we also have the largest prison population in the world. This course will focus on some of the key themes in the literature such as the history of the penitentiary, racial disparities in policing, sentencing, and imprisonment, the prison reform movement, efforts to organize for civil rights within prisons, theoretical frameworks for understanding the rise of the carceral state, and extralegal responses to perceived criminal behavior. Required Books 1. Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness ISBN # Dan Berger, Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era ISBN # Ethan Blue, Doing Time in the Depression: Everyday Life in Texas and California Prisons (New York: NYU Press, 2014) ISBN # Dennis Childs, Slaves of the State: Black Incarceration from the Chain Gang to the Penitentiary ISBN # Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison ISBN# Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Golden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California ISBN #

2 2 7. Marie Gottschalk, The Prison and the Gallows: The Politics of Mass Incarceration ISBN # Rebecca McLennan, The Crisis of Imprisonment: Politics and the Making of the American Penal State, ISBN # Khalil Muhammed, The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern America ISBN # Robert Perkinson, Texas Tough: The Rise of America's Prison Empire ISBN # Michael Willrich, City of Courts: Socializing Justice in Progressive Era Chicago ISBN # Amy Wood, Lynching and Spectacle: Witnessing Racial Violence in America, ISBN # Articles/Chapters The following can be found on elearning. They are noted with a * in the schedule. Introduction in Deborah E. McDowell, Claudrena N. Harold, and Juan Battle, The Punitive Turn: New Approaches to Race and Incarceration (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2013). Marc Mauer, Foreword: Challenging Mass Incarceration, in Deborah E. McDowell, Claudrena N. Harold, and Juan Battle, The Punitive Turn: New Approaches to Race and Incarceration (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2013). Heather Ann Thompson, Why Mass Incarceration Matters: Rethinking Crisis, Decline, and Transformation in Postwar American History, Journal of American History 97 (December 2010): Heather Ann Thompson, Blinded by a Barbaric South: Prison Horrors, Inmate Abuse and the Ironic History of Penal Reform in the Postwar United States in Matthew D. Lassiter and Joseph Crespino, eds., The Myth of Southern Exceptionalism (New York: Oxford University Press). Schedule August 24 August 31 Introduction to the course Thompson, Why Mass Incarceration Matters*; Mauer, Foreword *; Introduction in McDowell, Harold, and Battle*; Thompson, Blinded by a Barbaric South*

3 3 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Nov. 16 Nov. 23 Nov. 30 Dec. 7 Dec. 13 NO CLASS LABOR DAY McLennan, The Crisis of Imprisonment Foucault, Discipline and Punish Muhammed, The Condemnation of Blackness Willrich, City of Courts Perkinson, Texas Tough Wood, Lynching and Spectacle Blue, Doing Time in the Depression Alexander, The New Jim Crow Gilmore, Golden Gulag NO CLASS Gottschalk, The Prison and the Gallows Berger, Captive Nation Childs, Slaves of the State FINAL PAPER DUE (please the professor as an attachment) Course Requirements You will be graded on course participation, facilitation of a class, 3 précis, and 1 long paper (3,500-4,000 words) based on the books we read in class. Course Participation Students will be allowed one unexcused absence, however you are strongly encouraged to attend all of the classes as the success of the seminar depends on collective participation. Participation obviously implies more than just physical presence; each student is expected to discuss the readings in an informed, thoughtful way, and listen respectfully to the contributions of your colleagues. Absences are excused for religious holidays, medical reasons, or family emergencies only and require relevant documentation (e.g., a doctor's note or a signed and dated card from a hospital). Seminar Facilitation

4 4 During the course of the semester you will facilitate the discussion for one session. The presentation should be no longer than minutes long. Students are advised to give a brief introduction to the material, which may include outlining broad historical debates of which the book is a part or discussing the primary concerns/issues the book raises. The key is to provide an overview to the book itself. Students will generate discussion questions and are expected to turn in the list of questions to the professor by on Sunday at 3 pm. The professor will then the questions to the rest of the class. You will also turn in your presentation notes or outline. Please bring extra copies of the questions to hand out if necessary. You will be graded on your ability to break down the book s synthesis, provide the class with an analytical framework, and lead the discussion. Précis Assignments In each of the three précis assignments, students will write a summary of the analytical argument and/or themes in 750-1,000 words. You will choose three books or collections of documents/articles and submit your précis in class the day that we read the book. If you cite from the book please use parenthical citations with the page only. Long Paper Students will one paper assessing the state of the field on prisons, crime, and punishment based on the books read in class. There will be no need to use outside source material. More detailed information on assignments will be forthcoming as the course proceeds. You will send me this paper as an attachment via . Please make sure your paper is doublespaced with point font (preferably Times New Roman). You will need to use footnotes or endnotes for the final paper. Consistency is key. You might consult 1) Kate L. Turabian s Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (6 th ed., Chicago, 1996) 2) University of Chicago, preface by Margaret D. Mahen, The Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers (15 th ed., Chicago, 2003). For help with grammar and format also see William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style (4 th edition, 1999). Grades Final grades in this seminar will be assigned based on the following work: Participation 15% Class Facilitation 15% Précis Average 25% Long Paper 45% Course Policies and Expectations Incompletes and extensions: There will be no extensions unless you have suffered from serious illness (i.e. hospitalization) or acute personal crises (i.e. death of relative or similar situation). Please inform the professor as soon as you are aware of a problem. Late work will be penalized

5 5 1/3 letter grade per day, weekends included. For university rules about incompletes please see below. Electronic Devices: Computers will not be allowed in class. Permission is granted only if you have official documentation of a disability. All cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off and stowed before class begins. There will be no use of electronic devices in the classroom. Classroom Protocol: 1. Ensure that your cell phones are turned OFF during the class. 2. Make an effort to arrive to class on time and avoid leaving early. Late arrivals and early departures are distracting. In order to get credit for attending class on a particular date you must be here for the entire class. 3. No electronic devices of any kind will be allowed in class without approval from the professor. Enjoy the class! University policies and procedures relevant to this course can be found at: The above descriptions, timelines, requirements, and regulations are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.