# The True Causes of Mass Incarceration **URL:** **By** John Pfaff, Trevor Burrus, Aaron Ross Powell **Published:** May 12, 2017 --- We talk about the United States's unusually high rate of incarceration. How many Americans are in prison or in jail? What did they do to get there? John Pfaff joins us this week to talk about the United States's unusually high rate of incarceration. How many Americans are in prison or in jail? What did they do to get there? If we have roughly the same crime rate as we did in 1970, but have five times as many people in prison as we did then, what are those extra people in prison for? **Show Notes and Further Reading** Pfaff's book is [_Locked In: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration—and How to Achieve Real Reform_](https://www.amazon.com/Locked-Causes-Incarceration-Achieve-Reform/dp/0465096913) (2017). Other books mentioned in this episode: - [_Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America_](https://www.amazon.com/Ghettoside-True-Story-Murder-America/dp/0385529996) (2015) by Jill Leovy - [_Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America_](https://www.amazon.com/Locking-Up-Our-Own-Punishment/dp/0374189978) (2017) by James Forman, Jr. - [_Ordinary Injustice: How America Holds Court_](https://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Injustice-America-Holds-Court/dp/0805092277) (2010) by Amy Bach Listeners may also be interested in our Free Thoughts podcast episode with Bernard Kerik, "[From Jailer to Jailed: Bernard Kerik's Story.](https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts/from-jailer-to-jailed-bernard-keriks-story)"