Scope

This Research Guide focuses on prisons and corrections in the United States, including alternatives to incarceration.

Overview

Civil Rights in the United States
College Library Reference Collection: E184 A1 C47 2000
Refer to "Prisoners," pages 612-614

Encyclopedia of American Prisons
College Library Reference Collection: HV9471 S54 2003

Encyclopedia of Civil Rights in America
College Library Reference Collection: E185.61 E544 1998 V.3
Refer to "Prisoner Rights," pages 703-707

Prisons in America: A Reference Handbook
College Library Reference Collection: HV9471 R36 1999

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 1992 (updated daily)
Britannica Online is a searchable collection of authoritative references, including Britannica's latest encyclopedia articles. Basic instructions for Encyclopædia Britannica Online

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center 1990 - to date (updated daily)
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (OVRC) includes the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources and provides viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Finding Journal and News Articles

Below are links to databases that cover this subject area. The truncation symbol for all of them is an asterisk (*) unless otherwise noted.

Sample searches for databases:

correctional institut*
correctional institut* and United States
correctional institut* and women
correctional institut* and disab*
correction* and race
imprisonment and United States
incarceration
prison* and America*
prison and mental health
 

Recommended Databases:

Academic Search 1984 - to date (updated daily)
This library database indexes approximately 3,100 popular magazines and academic journals and provides the full-text articles from approximately 1,000 journals. Basic instructions for Academic Search

Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe Dates Vary (updated daily)
Contains the full-text articles from U.S. and international newspapers (including the New York Times, June 1980 - to date), as well as some news and business magazines and trade journals. The truncation symbol is an exclamation point (!). Basic instructions for Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe

ProQuest Research Library 1988 - to date (updated daily)
Indexes over 2,000 general-interest and academic journals. Nearly 1,000 periodicals are full-text. Dates vary, but many full-text journals go back to 1988. Basic instructions for ProQuest Research Library

Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS) 1972 - to date (updated quarterly)
Indexes journal articles, books, government documents, statistical compilations, committee reports, directories, serials, reports of public, intergovernmental and private organizations, and most other forms of printed literature from all over the world. The full-text of the articles is not available in the database. Basic instructions for PAIS

Social Sciences Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 415 scholarly journals in economics, politics, public administration, public health, sociology, criminology, environmental and urban studies, psychology and anthropology. Basic instructions for Social Sciences Full Text

Finding Books

MadCat
Books on prisons can be found in MadCat, the UW-Madison library catalog.

Sample keyword searches:

"correctional institutions"
incarceration and "United States"
imprisonment and rehabil?
imprisonment and "United States"
mandatory and sentenc?
parole
prison? and race
prison and women

Internet Sites

Prison Activist Resource Center
http://www.prisonactivist.org/
A private group working for prison reform in the United States. Includes information about many prison related issues and links to a variety of further sources.

American Civil Liberties Union : Prison
http://www.aclu.org/prison/index.html
American Civil Liberties Union Web Site includes press releases and position papers about prison related issues.

The Sentencing Project
http://www.sentencingproject.org/
This site provides resources and information for those concerned with sentencing issues within the criminal justice system. The site contains many lengthy reports on current issues involving the sentencing of criminal offenders.

Human Rights Watch - U.S. Prisons
http://www.hrw.org/prisons/united_states.html
A private organization founded in 1978 to promote human rights worldwide. This site contains links to articles about current prisoner rights related issues, as well as other relevant up to date information.

Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/split/cripa.htm
This Department of Justice site contains the full text of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), as well as a description of the Special Litigation Section that resolves issues pertaining to CRIPA. Relevant links are included.
 

Statistics

Bureau of Justice Statistics
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/correct.htm
Corrections statistics maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice, includes jails, prisons, and probation and parole data.

Statistical Universe 1973 - to date (updated monthly)
Contains the full text of more than 800 U.S. government statistical publications. Lexis-Nexis Statistical Universe is available to UW-Madison registered users.

Videos

Acres of Skin: The Documentary
College Library Main Collection: R 853 H8 A29 2005

America's Brutal Prisons
College Library Main Collection: HV 9950 A44 2005

The Farm: Life inside Angola Prison
College Library Main Collection: HV8338 F257 1998

How do you spell murder?: Illiteracy and Crime
College Library Main Collection: HV8883.32 N5 H69 2004

The Plea (Frontline)
College Library Main Collection: KF9654 P553 2004

Supermax: Life in a Super-Maximum Security Prison
College Library Main Collection: HV9469 S874 1999
 

Organizations

American Probation and Parole Association
http://www.appa-net.org/
An international association involved with probation, parole, and community-based corrections.

Federal Bureau of Prisons
http://www.bop.gov/
A branch of the U.S. Department of Justice that oversees the federal prison system. This site includes press releases and statistics, as well as a wide range of information dealing with all aspects of the federal prison system.

National Institute of Corrections
http://www.nicic.org/
An agency within the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

National Center on Institutions and Alternatives
http://www.ncianet.org/
A private, non-profit agency that provides various services to correctional institutions throughout the country.

Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice
http://www.cjcj.org/
A private, non-profit organization that brings attention to alternatives to incarceration.