Golden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California (American Crossroads) (Volume 21)

If anyone has mastered the political economy and geography of prisons in California, it is Ruth Wilson Gilmore in Golden Gulag. Gilmore does a great job of discussing and parceling out the very complex and complicated relationships that exist between capitalism as a system that produces our material world alongside economic crises, and the function of prisons to absorb, manage, relocate and "hide" those very crises in the era of neoliberalism. She also skillfully reminds us over and over that it is black and brown working-class poor communities that bear the brunt of this kind of system that also expresses it's power via white supremacy. I am finding this book very useful and chock-full of interesting information for my current research.People may find the book a difficult read because it loaded with information and technicalities they are unfamiliar with, but these are good reasons to struggle with a text and truly grasp the increasingly intricate processes that determine and guide the world we live in (and the places we may end up locked in!). As Marx said, there is no royal road to science and knowledge.

This was a good expose on how our government secures monies without you being aware of it for use in their useless game of punishment and the ultimate ruination of the towns in which they place these freaking Hell-holes

I'm still reading it but its a great book. It makes me think about how much money is invested in keeping poor and people of color populations in prison. The prison industrial complex is no joke. This book provides the studies, chart and details of what I always thought. There's plenty of money to be made keeping the 'right people in prison' and finding new victims such as immigrants and school kids.

I had to read this book for my humanities class. It was pretty good, informative, and great examples. Worth the read if you're interested in learning a bit more about the prison system and how it's affected people negatively in all aspects.

Incisive, informative, well-researched critique not only if the prison complex but of reform efforts that feed into it.

TO LEARN OF THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX AND WHAT IT DOES, IS, AND SIGNIFIES, TAKES A SWEET INSPIRATIONAL LIFE ALTERING AND TOUCHING PERSON SO READ THIS AND OTHERS AND FEEL THE COMPELLIING SUCCESS OF NO LONGER BEING FOOLED

This was a pretty good reseach of the way the penal system changed in Cailifornia! But the changes are nationwide! The prison population in Cal. mirrows the Nation. The Blacks and Latinos are leading the inmate population. I enjoyed the confirmation! It is presented in a dissertation format, but thats o.k. The info was my treasure. Well developed, and thoroughly researched!

i purchased for a friend who is an inmatehe has praised the book to me