Massimo Pavarini Livres

The book explores the relationship between capitalist political economy and social control, particularly through penal institutions in Europe and the USA. It offers a neo-Marxist perspective on how emerging capitalism has shaped penal mechanisms to address labor issues. The updated edition includes two new essays reflecting on the book's impact over 40 years amidst ongoing debates on mass incarceration, alongside a foreword by Professor Jonathan Simon. This work is essential for scholars interested in criminal justice, penology, and Marxist theory.

This book is different from most of the academic and non-academic literature on prisons. It does not advocate prison reform. Instead, it makes the case for the prisons' abolition. According to the authors, prison amelioration is an illusion, but abolition is an option - a real possibility, and certainly an issue worth of public discussion and political action - urgently.