Listen free for 30 days
-
American Prison
- A Reporter's Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment
- Narrated by: James Fouhey, Shane Bauer
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
American Prison
Buy Now for $23.31
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
"An enraging, necessary look at the private prison system, and a convincing clarion call for prison reform.” (NPR.org)
New York Times Book Review 10 Best Books of 2018
One of President Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2018
Winner of the 2019 J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize
Winner of the Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism
Winner of the 2019 RFK Book and Journalism Award
A New York Times Notable Book
A groundbreaking and brave inside reckoning with the nexus of prison and profit in America in one Louisiana prison and over the course of our country's history.
In 2014, Shane Bauer was hired for nine dollars an hour to work as an entry-level prison guard at a private prison in Winnfield, Louisiana. An award-winning investigative journalist, he used his real name; there was no meaningful background check. Four months later, his employment came to an abrupt end. But he had seen enough, and in short order he wrote an exposé about his experiences that won a National Magazine Award and became the most-read feature in the history of the magazine Mother Jones.
Still, there was much more that he needed to say. In American Prison, Bauer weaves a much deeper reckoning with his experiences together with a thoroughly researched history of for-profit prisons in America from their origins in the decades before the Civil War. For, as he soon realized, we can't understand the cruelty of our current system and its place in the larger story of mass incarceration without understanding where it came from. Private prisons became entrenched in the South as part of a systemic effort to keep the African-American labor force in place in the aftermath of slavery, and the echoes of these shameful origins are with us still.
The private prison system is deliberately unaccountable to public scrutiny. Private prisons are not incentivized to tend to the health of their inmates, or to feed them well, or to attract and retain a highly trained prison staff. Though Bauer befriends some of his colleagues and sympathizes with their plight, the chronic dysfunction of their lives only adds to the prison's sense of chaos. To his horror, Bauer finds himself becoming crueler and more aggressive the longer he works in the prison, and he is far from alone.
A blistering indictment of the private prison system, and the powerful forces that drive it, American Prison is a necessary human document about the true face of justice in America.
You may also enjoy...
-
Confessions of a Cartel Hit Man
- Written by: Martin Corona, Tony Rafael
- Narrated by: Jacob Vargas
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
Martin Corona, a US citizen, fell into the outlaw life at 12 and worked for a crew run by the Arellano brothers, founders of the Tijuana drug cartel that dominated the Southern California drug trade and much bloody gang warfare for decades. Corona's crew would cross into the United States from their luxurious hideout in Mexico, kill whomever needed to be killed north of the border, and return home in the afternoon. Martin Corona played a key role in the downfall of the cartel when he turned state's evidence.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
WOW
- By Peloton Dad on 2024-03-28
Written by: Martin Corona, and others
-
Catch and Kill
- Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators
- Written by: Ronan Farrow
- Narrated by: Ronan Farrow
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,065
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 941
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 939
In 2017, a routine network television investigation led to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood’s most powerful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a conspiracy of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from high-priced lawyers to elite war-hardened spies, mounted a secret campaign of intimidation, threatening his career, following his every move, and weaponizing an account of abuse in his own family.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Wish I’d bought the book and read it instead
- By Nicola on 2019-10-17
Written by: Ronan Farrow
-
Bottle of Lies
- The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom
- Written by: Katherine Eban
- Narrated by: Katherine Eban
- Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 24
From an award-winning Fortune reporter, an explosive narrative investigation of the generic drug boom that reveals the life-threatening dangers posed by globalization - The Jungle for pharmaceuticals.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Grateful for this work
- By Lauren on 2020-05-21
Written by: Katherine Eban
-
Small Worlds
- Written by: Caleb Azumah Nelson
- Narrated by: Caleb Azumah Nelson
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 6
Set over the course of three summers, this novel follows Stephen, a first-generation Londoner born to Ghanaian immigrant parents, brother to Ray, and best friend to Adeline. On the cusp of big life changes, Stephen feels pressured to follow a certain path—a university degree, a move out of home—but when he decides instead to follow his first love, music, his world and family fracture in ways he didn’t foresee. Now Stephen must find a path and peace for himself: a space he can feel beautiful, a space he can feel free.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Beautiful prose
- By Michelle on 2024-01-16
Written by: Caleb Azumah Nelson
-
People Who Eat Darkness
- The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo - and the Evil That Swallowed Her Up
- Written by: Richard Lloyd Parry
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 51
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
Lucie Blackman - tall, blond, 21 years old - stepped out into the vastness of Tokyo in the summer of 2000 and disappeared. The following winter, her dismembered remains were found buried in a seaside cave. The seven months in between had seen a massive search for the missing girl involving Japanese policemen, British private detectives, and Lucie’s desperate but bitterly divided parents. Had Lucie been abducted by a religious cult or snatched by human traffickers? Who was the mysterious man she had gone to meet? And what did her work as a hostess in the notorious Roppongi district of Tokyo really involve?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Holy....jeeZ
- By Brett on 2018-03-16
Written by: Richard Lloyd Parry
-
African Samurai
- The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan
- Written by: Thomas Lockley, Geoffrey Girard
- Narrated by: Gary Furlong
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
The remarkable life of history’s first foreign-born samurai and his astonishing journey from Northeast Africa to the heights of Japanese society.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Black Bushido
- By Anonymous User on 2023-02-17
Written by: Thomas Lockley, and others
-
Confessions of a Cartel Hit Man
- Written by: Martin Corona, Tony Rafael
- Narrated by: Jacob Vargas
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
Martin Corona, a US citizen, fell into the outlaw life at 12 and worked for a crew run by the Arellano brothers, founders of the Tijuana drug cartel that dominated the Southern California drug trade and much bloody gang warfare for decades. Corona's crew would cross into the United States from their luxurious hideout in Mexico, kill whomever needed to be killed north of the border, and return home in the afternoon. Martin Corona played a key role in the downfall of the cartel when he turned state's evidence.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
WOW
- By Peloton Dad on 2024-03-28
Written by: Martin Corona, and others
-
Catch and Kill
- Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators
- Written by: Ronan Farrow
- Narrated by: Ronan Farrow
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,065
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 941
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 939
In 2017, a routine network television investigation led to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood’s most powerful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a conspiracy of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from high-priced lawyers to elite war-hardened spies, mounted a secret campaign of intimidation, threatening his career, following his every move, and weaponizing an account of abuse in his own family.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Wish I’d bought the book and read it instead
- By Nicola on 2019-10-17
Written by: Ronan Farrow
-
Bottle of Lies
- The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom
- Written by: Katherine Eban
- Narrated by: Katherine Eban
- Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 24
From an award-winning Fortune reporter, an explosive narrative investigation of the generic drug boom that reveals the life-threatening dangers posed by globalization - The Jungle for pharmaceuticals.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Grateful for this work
- By Lauren on 2020-05-21
Written by: Katherine Eban
-
Small Worlds
- Written by: Caleb Azumah Nelson
- Narrated by: Caleb Azumah Nelson
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 6
Set over the course of three summers, this novel follows Stephen, a first-generation Londoner born to Ghanaian immigrant parents, brother to Ray, and best friend to Adeline. On the cusp of big life changes, Stephen feels pressured to follow a certain path—a university degree, a move out of home—but when he decides instead to follow his first love, music, his world and family fracture in ways he didn’t foresee. Now Stephen must find a path and peace for himself: a space he can feel beautiful, a space he can feel free.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Beautiful prose
- By Michelle on 2024-01-16
Written by: Caleb Azumah Nelson
-
People Who Eat Darkness
- The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo - and the Evil That Swallowed Her Up
- Written by: Richard Lloyd Parry
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 51
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 51
Lucie Blackman - tall, blond, 21 years old - stepped out into the vastness of Tokyo in the summer of 2000 and disappeared. The following winter, her dismembered remains were found buried in a seaside cave. The seven months in between had seen a massive search for the missing girl involving Japanese policemen, British private detectives, and Lucie’s desperate but bitterly divided parents. Had Lucie been abducted by a religious cult or snatched by human traffickers? Who was the mysterious man she had gone to meet? And what did her work as a hostess in the notorious Roppongi district of Tokyo really involve?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Holy....jeeZ
- By Brett on 2018-03-16
Written by: Richard Lloyd Parry
-
African Samurai
- The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan
- Written by: Thomas Lockley, Geoffrey Girard
- Narrated by: Gary Furlong
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
The remarkable life of history’s first foreign-born samurai and his astonishing journey from Northeast Africa to the heights of Japanese society.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Black Bushido
- By Anonymous User on 2023-02-17
Written by: Thomas Lockley, and others
What the critics say
“American Prison reprises [Bauer’s] page-turning narrative [as reported in Mother Jones], and adds not only the fascinating back story of CCA, the nation’s first private prison company, but also an eye-opening examination of the history of corrections as a profit-making enterprise.... Bauer is a generous narrator with a nice ear for detail, and his colleagues come across as sympathetic characters, with a few notable exceptions.... The sheer number of forehead-slapping quotes from Bauer’s superiors and fellow guards alone are worth the price of admission." (The New York Times Book Review)
“American Prison is both the remarkable story of a journalist who spent four months working as a corrections officer, and a horrifying exposé of how prisoners were treated by a corporation that profited from them.... It’s Bauer’s investigative chops, though, that make American Prison so essential. He dedicated his time at Winn to talking with prisoners and guards, who were unaware that he was a journalist.... Based on his firsthand experience and these conversations, he paints a damning picture of prisoner mistreatment and under-staffing at the prison, where morale among the incarcerated and the employees was poor. The stories he tells are deeply sad and consistently infuriating... An enraging, necessary look at the private prison system, and a convincing clarion call for prison reform.” (NPR.org)
“A relentless and uncompromising book, one that takes a crowbar to the private prison industry and yanks hard, letting just enough daylight slip inside to illuminate the contours of the beast.... The private prison industry is booming once again. To find out what that means for real people - both those who guard and those who are guarded - American Prison is the place to begin.” (San Francisco Chronicle)
- One of Boston Globe’s Best Books of 2018
- One of San Francisco Chronicle’s 10 Best Books of 2018
- One of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2018
- Featured in Mother Jones’ Favorite Nonfiction of 2018
What listeners say about American Prison
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Justin shaw
- 2019-06-20
incredible.... and disturbing
This is absolutely a must read for every single human.
Incredibly well done and informative.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sean McIntyre
- 2023-06-22
Outstanding
Too bad this exhaustively researched, revealing & brilliant work will have so little impact on policy. Money rules. Systemic privilege & benefit will keep the poor & misfortunate underfoot always. I am disgusted every single day w humanity. Thank u bringing the truth forward. Every mm helps.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!