The Oxford History of the Prison: The Practice of Punishment in Western Society cover
The Oxford History of the Prison: The Practice of Punishment in Western Society
by Norval Morris, David J. Rothman
Description: The Oxford History of the Prison: The Practice of Punishment in Western Society examines the development of prisons from ancient times to today, focusing on their role within Western criminal law and the experiences of prisoners throughout history
ISBN: 0195118146
Found in 2 comments on Hacker News
Buy on Amazon
We may earn a commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Not ready yet? Get weekly book picks.
qingcharles · 2024-07-17 · Original thread
And this is one of the best researched books on the subject. I read it while I was locked up :)

https://www.amazon.com/Oxford-History-Prison-Practice-Punish...

It lays out how much of a modern punishment imprisonment is. Historically it was rarely used beyond pretrial. Other punishments were much more common. Fines were good because they put money into the hands of government folks. Beyond that, a few lashings, maybe a missing finger, an eye popped out if you were very naughty, and of course, banishment.

Tip: don't try pulling anyone apart with horses. It is hard to make the horses do what you want, and some people don't come apart as easily as you'd hope. The crowd will turn on you if you make the death too grisly or drawn-out.

qingcharles · 2023-07-29 · Original thread
Prisons on the scale we have now are a very modern invention. In history the vast majority of crimes were punished with fines (good for the government), expulsion or fairly petty physical punishments.

This is one of the best researched books on the subject, IMO:

https://www.amazon.com/Oxford-History-Prison-Practice-Punish...