Rethinking Incarceration : Advocating For Justice That Restores

Introduction

Part I: The Roots And Evolution Of Mass Incarceration
1. The War On Drugs
2. How Did We Get Here? From Black Codes To Neoslavery
3. Beyond Law And Order
4. Three Overlooked Pipelines: Mental Health, Private Prisons, And Immigration
5. The School-to-Prison Pipeline

Part II: The Church’s Witness And Testimony
6. Protestant Reformers: Prophetic Activism, Nonviolence, And God’s Wrath
7. The Prisoner’s Pastor: Chaplaincy And Theology’s Institutional Impact
8. The Spirit Of Punishment: Atonement, Penal Substitution, And The Wrath Of God
9. Atonement And Sanctifying Retribution
10. Divine Justice Is Inherently Restorative
11. Holy Interruptions: Dismantling Mass Incarceration
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Additional Info
The United States has 5 percent of the world’s population but 25 percent of the world’s incarcerated. We have more people locked up in jails, prisons, and detention centers than any other country in the history of the world. There are more jails and prisons than degree-granting colleges and universities, and in many places more people live behind bars than on college campuses. Mass incarceration has become a lucrative industry, and the criminal justice system is plagued with bias and unjust practices. And the church has unwittingly contributed to these problems.

In Rethinking Incarceration Dominique Gilliard explores the history and foundation of mass incarceration, examining Christianity’s role in its evolution and expansion. He assesses our nation’s ethic of meritocratic justice in light of Scripture and exposes the theologies that embolden mass incarceration. Gilliard then shows how Christians can pursue justice that restores and reconciles, offering creative solutions and highlighting innovative interventions.

God’s justice is ultimately restorative, not just punitive. Discover how Christians can participate in the restoration and redemption of the incarceration system.