About the book
What if racialized mass incarceration is not a perversion of our criminal justice system’s liberal ideals, but rather a natural conclusion? Adam Malka raises this disturbing possibility through a gripping look at the origins of modern policing in the influential hub of Baltimore during and after slavery’s final decades. He argues that America’s new professional police forces and prisons were developed to expand, not curb, the reach of white vigilantes, and are best understood as a uniformed wing of the gangs that controlled free black people by branding them—and treating them—as criminals. The post–Civil War triumph of liberal ideals thus also marked a triumph of an institutionalized belief in black criminality.
Mass incarceration may be a recent phenomenon, but the problems that undergird the “new Jim Crow” are very, very old. As Malka makes clear, a real reckoning with this national calamity requires not easy reforms but a deeper, more radical effort to overcome the racial legacies encoded into the very DNA of our police institutions.
Editions of The Men of Mobtown
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469636290
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469663906
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469636313
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890853707
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469636306
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890853691
Read an Excerpt
What if racialized mass incarceration is not a perversion of our criminal justice system’s liberal ideals, but rather a natural conclusion? Adam Malka raises this disturbing possibility through a gripping look at the origins of modern policing in the influential hub of Baltimore during and after slavery’s final decades. He argues that America’s new professional police forces and prisons were developed to expand, not curb, the reach of white vigilantes, and are best understood as a uniformed wing of the gangs that controlled free black people by branding them—and treating them—as criminals. The post–Civil War triumph of liberal ideals thus also marked a triumph of an institutionalized belief in black criminality.
Mass incarceration may be a recent phenomenon, but the problems that undergird the “new Jim Crow” are very, very old. As Malka makes clear, a real reckoning with this national calamity requires not easy reforms but a deeper, more radical effort to overcome the racial legacies encoded into the very DNA of our police institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Men of Mobtown about?
What if racialized mass incarceration is not a perversion of our criminal justice system’s liberal ideals, but rather a natural conclusion? Adam Malka raises this disturbing possibility through a gripping look at the origins of modern policing in the influential hub of Baltimore during and after slavery’s final decades. He argues that America’s new professional police forces and prisons were developed to expand, not curb, the reach of white vigilantes, and are best understood as a uniformed wing of the gangs that controlled free black people by branding them—and treating them—as criminals. The post–Civil War triumph of liberal ideals thus also marked a triumph of an institutionalized belief in black criminality.
Mass incarceration may be a recent phenomenon, but the problems that undergird the “new Jim Crow” are very, very old. As Malka makes clear, a real reckoning with this national calamity requires not easy reforms but a deeper, more radical effort to overcome the racial legacies encoded into the very DNA of our police institutions.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Men of Mobtown?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of The Men of Mobtown?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469636290
How long is The Men of Mobtown and how many pages does it have?
The Men of Mobtown has 352 page(s)
Is The Men of Mobtown part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Justice, Power, and Politics
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Men of Mobtown?
Adam Malka
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Men of Mobtown is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469636290) and paperback(ISBN 9781469663906) and ebook(ISBN 9781469636313) and ebook(ISBN 9798890853707) and ebook(ISBN 9781469636306) and pdf(ISBN 9798890853691)
Where can I buy The Men of Mobtown online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy The Men of Mobtown from below
Where can I buy The Men of Mobtown?