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John Sierputowski
Professor Tager
Crime and Punishment
16 April 2023
Short Writing Assignment #10
Pfaff’s book, Locked In has a main disciplinary perspective centralized over the topic of
mass incarceration. Throughout the book, there is a historical perspective of mass imprisonment
in the United States. Pfaff tries to figure out the reason for increasing crime rates whether it be
additional police patrol, stricter laws or even racial injustice in the system itself. A quote
explaining the rise in crime between the years 1991 and 2000 is stated, “Compared to 19811990, the peak of the crime boom, the decade from 1991-2000 actually saw 3,000 more
murderers, over 100,000 more rapes, over 60,000 more robberies and nearly 2.5 million more
aggravated assaults” (Pfaff 105). There was a huge increase in significant crime. Pfaff also talks
about another disciplinary perspective. An economical perspective that deals with prison growth
rates and the budget surrounding the criminal justice system. Pfaff talks about the increase in
spending over the years and how reform has affected the prison system. “At first blush, the
increase is dramatic: by 2013, state and county governments were spending nearly $80 billion on
prisons and jails, up from $30 billion in the early 1990’s and up from about $6 billion in the early
1980’s” (Pfaff 94). Overall, Pfaff looks at the historical and economical perspective of mass
incarceration.