From the Salem witch trials to death row, a gripping analysis of the evolution of punishment practices, policies, and problems in America. Workhouses. Insane asylums. Prisons. Strait-jackets. Solitary confinement. The death penalty. Since colonial times, American society has endeavored to find effective ways to punish its offenders. How have methods of punishment changed over time, and do any of them really deter crime? From Puritan ducking stools and activist Dorothea Dix to boot camps and supermax prisons, Punishment in America investigates the evolution of punishment in the United States. Intriguing inquiries into penitentiaries, parole, capital punishment, and other sanctions reveal how the rationales behind them-retribution, rehabilitation, and deterrence-reflect changes in society, culture, and values. Reaching beyond the typical focus on prisons and incarceration to extralegal lynchings and vigilante operations and the treatment of the poor and the mentally challenged, this remarkable review also explores the impact of moral panics regarding pedophiles and drugs, and the effects of three strikes legislation and truth in sentencing. This thought-provoking work will help readers understand the conflicting roles that punishment has played in delivering justice and promoting rehabilitation.