Synopsis

This book reviews the disproportionate number of African American women making up the United States' prison population, looking particularly at how the nation's prison systems are ill-equipped to meet the basic needs of its ever-growing population. Topics covered include reasons why young African American women are first drawn into criminal behavior; trends connecting incarceration to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; the effects of incarceration on inmates' families and children; and possible preventive measures or alternatives to imprisonment.

Biography

Catherine Fisher Collinsis an associate professor at the State University of New York, Empire State College, in the Department of Community and Human Services. She lives in Buffalo.