The American Origins of Prison w/ Michael Meranze

Prison is as American as apple pie. And unlike apple pie, the modern prison system actually began in the United States.  Today's guest, Professor Michael Meranze, not only discusses the origins of American prisons with us, but some of early incarceration's rather grislier details.

You can listen here, or if you haven't iTunes then here.

And check out Professor Meranze's book, Laboratories of Virtue. 

From Dungeons to Medieval Prisons w/ Guy Geltner

Few things occupy a more terrifying place in the modern mindset than medieval prisons. According to Professor Guy Geltner, however, this historical conception is far from the truth. While medieval prisons were no paradise, they were, in many important ways, not nearly as bad as penal conditions today. How can that be? Listen up and find out!

 You can listen here on iTunes, or if you haven't iTunes, here.

 And make sure to check out Professor Geltner's groundbreaking book, The Medieval Prison.

In Defense of Flogging w/ Peter Moskos

The title says it all. According to today's guest, former police officer Peter Moskos, the convicted should have a choice of whether to serve prison time or undergo a brutal caning. 

You can get the episode here, or if you haven't iTunes, then here. 

And check out Professor Moskos's works here. 

Community Corrections w/ Edward Latessa

In our second episode on alternatives to incarceration we sit down with Professor Edward Latessa and discuss everything from the ever controversial halfway houses to the ever absurd bootcamps.

You can download the episode here, or if you haven't itunes, then here. 

Probation and Parole w/ Megan Sacks

Given American prisons' overcrowding and expense, judges have increasingly looked for alternatives to incarceration. Probation, or releasing convicts in lieu of serving prison time, has proven especially popular. Professor Megan Sacks, a former probation officer, fills us in on the pluses and perils of probation, the utter failure(s) of parole, and her own work on the front lines.

Listen to the episode here, or if you haven't iTunes, here. 

The Politicization of Punishment w/ Jonathan Simon

In our final episode on mass incarceration in the United States, we speak to Jonathan Simon, among the most influential sociologists currently breathing. According to Professor Simon, all three branches of federal and state government, not to mention us voters, are ultimately responsible for the nation's repressive and wasteful prison system.

You can find the episode here, or if you haven't iTunes, then here.

Also check out Professor Simon's latest work, Governing Through Crime: How the War on Crime Transformed American Democracy and Created a Culture of Fear, here. 

Mass Incarceration w/ Ernest Drucker

The United States, despite its plummeting crime rate, continues to imprison people en masse. According to today's guest, the nation's incarceratory zeal constitutes a literal epidemic, comparable to the AIDS outbreak or the rising rates of obesity. How did we get here? How do we get out? Listen up and find out!

You can download the episode on iTunes here, or, if you haven't iTunes, here.

And make sure to check out Professor Drucker's book, A Plague of Prisons: The Epidemiology of Mass Incarceration in America. 

The Death Penalty w/ David Garland

The United States is the only industrialized Western nation that executes its own citizens. Why is this? Is this a good or a bad thing? In today's episode we explore these questions with Professor David Garland, perhaps the leading expert on capital punishment in the United States.

You can check out the episode on iTunes here, or, if you haven't iTunes, then here. 

Also check out Professor Garland's excellent book on the death penalty, Peculiar Institution: America's Death Penalty in an Age of Abolition, here. And if that isn't enough, why not read Justice John Paul Stevens's review of it? 

Selective Incapacitation w/ Kate Auerhahn

American criminal justice has long concerned itself with finding the most dangerous criminals and separating them from society. The problem with this, according to today's guest, is determining exactly who the most dangerous criminals are. What do Charles Manson and a fellow incarcerated for life for stealing a pizza pie have in common? Listen up and find out!

Listen here on iTunes or, if you do not have iTunes, here. 

Restorative Justice w/ Kim Cook

In the past few years, the idea of restorative justice has gained traction as an alternative theory of punishment. This simple idea involves having offenders and victims meet face to face, and the latter then explaining how he or she has been injured by the former. While opponents of restorative justice have labeled it hopelessly naive, today's guest, Professor Kim Cook, believes restorative justice may be an antidote to needless incarceration.

Listen up here or, if you haven't iTunes here. 

What Hell is Like w/ Edward Fudge

In the second part of our two-part series on Hell, we discuss the different views of what Hell is like. According to Protestant Pastor Edward Fudge, the Bible points in a single direction. Whether you agree, disagree, or don't really have an opinion either way, Pastor Fudge provides excellent insight into how the ultimate punishment is understood by many people today.

You can listen to the podcast here, or here if you do not have iTunes.

You can purchase Pastor Fudge's book, The Fire That Consumes, here.  

Hell's Origins w/ Alan Bernstein

In today's episode we tackle the ultimate punishment of all, none other than Hell. Hell scholar Alan Bernstein discusses how the concept of eternal punishment has varied and evolved throughout European and Middle Eastern history. Our subject may be Hell, but this episode is Heaven to listen to.

You can listen to the episode on iTunes here, or, if you haven't iTunes, here.

Pick up Alan Bernstein's major work, The Formation of Hell, here. 

Rehabilitation w/ Charlie Sullivan

While the public supports rehabilitating criminal offenders, the State isn't so keen on it. Charlie Sullivan, co-founder of Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE), has done more than almost anyone to try and change the State's thinking. How well has he succeeded? Join us to find out!

On iTunes here, or if you haven't iTunes, here.

You can contact CURE here.

Deterrence w/ David Kennedy

How can we deter people from committing crimes? According to Professor David Kennedy, rather than waiting to incarcerate offenders, we should actually sit them down and discuss the consequences of their actions. Sound crazy? The evidence shows otherwise.

Listen to the episode on iTunes here, or, if you're technologically behind, here.

You can buy Professor Kennedy's newest work here.

Exonerated w/ Jeffrey Deskovic

In our second interview with Jeffrey Deskovic, a man imprisoned 16 years for a rape and murder that he did not commit, we go over Jeffrey's exoneration, his struggles for compensation, and the eventual establishment of the Jeffrey Desckovic Foundation for Justice.

Listen on iTunes here, or, if you haven't iTunes, here.

You can donate to Jeffrey's foundation here. 

Life in Prison w/ Jeffrey Deskovic

At the age of sixteen Jeffrey Mark Deskovic was falsely convicted of the rape and murder of a fellow classmate. In this interview, Jeffrey discusses his arrest, trial, and sixteen year imprisonment for a crime that he did not commit. If you think that you know anything about our nation's penal system, listen up.

Listen to the episode on iTunes here, or here. 

Donate to the Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice here in order to help prevent future wrongful convictions. 

Note: This is part 1 of a 2 part interview. 

Retribution w/ Jeffrie G. Murphy