Kathleen Auerhahn

This book is about the convergence of trends in two American institutions – the economy and the criminal justice system.  The American economy has radically transformed in the past half-century, led by advances in automation technology that have permanently altered labor market dynamics.  Over the same period, the US criminal justice system experienced an unprecedented expansion, at great cost.  These costs include not only the $80 billion annually in direct expenditures on criminal justice, but also the devastating impacts experienced by justice-involved individuals, families, and communities. This book examines these potential consequences, the meaning of work in American society, and suggests alternative redistributive and policy solutions to avert the collision course of these economic and criminal justice policy trends.