Uploaded March 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The U.S. incarcerates a greater proportion of its population any other country in the world, with dire social and economic consequences for the incarcerated, their children, and those who work in the criminal justice system. In his new book, “Incarceration Nation: How the United States Became the Most Punitive Democracy in the World” (Cambridge Press), Cornell University Associate Professor of Government Peter Enns sheds new light on why the U.S. incarcerates such a high percentage of its population.
The U.S. incarcerates a greater proportion of its population any other country in the world, with dire social and economic consequences for the incarcerated, their children, and those who work in the criminal justice system. In his new book, “Incarceration Nation: How the United States Became the Most Punitive Democracy in the World” (Cambridge Press), Cornell University Associate Professor of Government Peter Enns sheds new light on why the U.S. incarcerates such a high percentage of its population.
