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

Cruel and Unusual: A Podcast on Punishment

The American Origins of Prison w/ Michael Meranze

This podcast explores why and how people are punished in the United States and throughout the world, ranging from criminal punishment to disciplining children. Each episode features a fifteen minute interview with a punisher (i.e. a judge or parent), someone punished (i.e. convicts or children), or those who study punishment (i.e. academics). Topics include: Why do we punish at all? How has punishment changed over time? How does punishment differ in other countries? The podcast is always informative, entertaining, and, when the need arises, even a bit irreverent. Listen up...or be punished.

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Cruel and Unusual: A Podcast on Punishment