Prison Nation

Paul Wright is a Washington state prisoner, jailhouse lawyer, political activist and journalist. Paul is the co-founder of Prison Legal News, a monthly magazine published since 1990 that is prisoner written, edited and published. His last book was The Celling of America. Tara Herivel is a prisoners' rights activist and lawyer who has written for Prison Legal News and other progressive periodicals in the Seattle area.

"Prison Nation" is a distant dispatch from a foreign and forbidden place--the world of America's prisons. Written by prisoners, social critics and luminaries of investigative reporting, Prison Nation testifies to the current state of America's prisoners' living conditions and political concerns. These concerns are not normally the concerns of most Americans, but they should be. From substandard medical care the inadequacy of resources for public defenders to the death penalty, the issues covered in this volume grow more urgent every day. Articles by outstanding writers such as Mumia Abu-Jamal, Noam Chomsky, Mark Dow, Judy Green, Tracy Huling and Christian Parenti chronicle the injustices of prison privatization, class and race in the justice system, our quixotic drug war, the rarely discussed prison AIDS crisis and a judicial system that rewards mostly those with significant resources or the desire to name names. Correctional facilities have become a profitable growth industry, for companies like Wackenhut that run them and companies like Boeing that use cheap prison labor. With fascinating narratives, shocking tales and small stories of hope, Prison Nation paints a picture of a world many Americans know little or nothing about.

Section I.The Warehousing of America's PoorThe Accused Gets What the System Doesn't Pay For-Stephen BrightAbsolute Power, Absolute Corruption-Ron OwenCapital Crimes-George WinslowColor Bind-Paul StreetDrug Policy as Social Control-Noam ChomskyVictims' Rights' as a Stalkinghorse for State Repression-Paul WrightSection II.Two Million Swept AwaySwept Away-Nell BernsteinAn American Seduction: Portrait of a Prison Town-Joelle FraserThe Politics of Boot Camp-Christian ParentiSecrecy, Power, Indefinite Detention-Mark DowTrapped by the System: Parole in America-Kelly VirellaRelocation Blues-Nell BernsteinSection IIIMaking a Buck off the Prisoner's BackBoeing Makes Slave Labor Fly-Paul WrightThe Politics of Prison Labor: a Union Perspective-Gordon LaferWork Strike Suppressed and Sabotaged in Ohio-Daniel Burton-RosePrison Jobs and Free World Unemployment-Adrian LomaxSection IVThe Private Prison IndustryBailing Out Private Jails-Judith GreeneJuvenile Crime Pays-Alex FriedmannUniversity Professor Shills for Private Prison Industry-Alex FriedmannCampus Activism Defeats Multinational's Prison Profiteering-Kevin PranisJuveniles Held Hostage-Alex FriedmannSection VMalign Neglect: Prison MedicineThe New Bedlam-Willie WiselyWreaking Medical Mayhem on Washington Prisoners-Tara HerivelHepatitis C: A Silent Epidemic Strikes U.S. Prisons-Silja TalviDying for Profits-Ron YoungPrisoners with HIV Deprived of Proper Medical Care-Anne Marie CusacFDOC Hazardous to Prisoners' Health-Mark Sherwood & Bob PoseyBill Clinton's Blood Trails-Jeffrey St. ClairSection VI Rape, Racism and RepressionCowboys and Prisoners-Willie WiselyThe Restraint Chair Anne?Marie CusacDeliberate Indifference-Joanne Mariner and Human Rights Watch Corcoran-Willie WiselyGuarding Their Silence-Christian ParentiOur Sisters' Keepers-Daniel Burton RoseNot Part of my Sentence-Silja TalviMake it Hard for Them-Mark DowAnatomy of a Whitewash-Mumia Abu?JamalSentenced to the Backwaters of Greene County, P.A.-Mumia Abu?JamalSection VI