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.