"Lock 'em up and throw away the key" seems to be our favorite approach to punishment. To find out what we get for the $30 billion spent on the penal system each year, consult this extensive handbook.

A handy source for basic statistics on prisoners, penal trends, and programs and services in America's prisons.

Prisons in America covers such important subjects as punishment in the United States since colonial times; the most critical penal problems today; units for special populations; key penologists, and more. This work is a source for basic statistics on prisoners, penal trends, programs, services, and more. Listings of professional organizations and print and nonprint resources are also included.

• Listings of professional organizations and print and nonprint resources