A Country Called Prison

In the first edition of A Country Called Prison, Mary Looman and John Carl presented persuasive data calling for downsizing of America's prisons. Their novel approach continues in their second edition, shifting the beliefs many people have about prisons and their role in the American society. Since the original edition was published, the landscape of incarceration has been changing.

In their second edition, Carl and Looman discuss the significant world events, such as the COVID epidemic, that impacted the American society in the past decade, which lead to an overall twenty percent reduction in prison populations across the board. The second edition includes a new chapter covering the history of prisons that clearly establishes the fact that prisons have always been about making money and less about rehabilitating offenders. They also introduce the new era of decarceration and desistance, encouraging courts to defer sentences and keep minor offenders at home with their families and in their communities while they work, attend education classes, and receive mental health treatment. Once again Carl and Looman end their book with a rational and daring proposal—Marshall Plan 2024—that envisions a way to bring the criminal justice system into the twenty-first century focusing on social equity and humane compassion for those who want to emigrate out.