Going Up the River: Travels in a Prison Nation Review

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(More customer reviews)Over the last 20 years, America's prison population has exploded. We now incarcerate about 2 million people--a higher rate than any other country in the world. Mr. Hallinan takes us on a tour of the prisons that hold this growing population...and serves up a unique view point.
When readcing Going Up the River, one must remember that the author works for the Wall Steet Journal. With this "day job" it is not surprising that Mr. Hallinan delves into a side of the prison boom not often examined: the costs, who pays them, and who profits?
Everyone seems to admit that prisons do not rehabilitate anyone. They are so large, so poorly funded, and so violent, that the only realistic goal of either the prisoners or the gourds is to come out alive. As Mr. Hallinan says, anything beyond survival is clearly a luxury in today's prisons.
So, if prisons are not doing their job, then why are they so popular?
Mr. Hallinan's answer is that the prison boom has been accompanied by (or was caused by?) a redefinition of the very concept of a prison. No longer viewed as a place to incarcerate and reform or rehabilitate, prisons are now viewed as a source of economic development, jobs, and patronage.
His story of the building of Tamms--Illinois Supermax--is illustrative. Built in a small, impoverished, southern Illinois town approximately 365 miles from Chicago, the prison was expected to be an economic engine. As it was being built, the local housing market exploded, restaurants opened, etc. At the same time, the county--which had gone democratic in state-wide races for decades, voted republican 2-1 after the Republican governor announced the new prison.
What the author missed is the end of the story. After being open two years, Tamms has seen virtually no benefit from the prison. The new restaurants are closed. The new jobs went to experienced guards living elsewhere. The real estate market in Tamms is as depressed as ever.
The question Mr. Hallinan asks at the end of his book is the right one--has America's addiction to prisons begun to wane? Only time will tell, but the story of Tamms suggests that they ain't all they're cracked up to be as engines of economic development.
An excellent book, highly recommended for anyone who cares about crime or prisons--but an absolute must read for anyone who cares about taxes!

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