# Locked in: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration-And How to Achieve Real Reform - Hardcover

by **John Pfaff** (Author)

**A groundbreaking reassessment of the American prison system, challenging the widely accepted explanations for our exploding incarceration rates**

In _Locked In_, John Pfaff argues that the factors most commonly cited to explain mass incarceration -- the failed War on Drugs, draconian sentencing laws, an increasing reliance on private prisons -- tell us much less than we think. Instead, Pfaff urges us to look at other factors, especially a major shift in prosecutor behavior that occurred in the mid-1990s, when prosecutors began bringing felony charges against arrestees about twice as often as they had before.

An authoritative, clear-eyed account of a national catastrophe, _Locked In_ is a must-read for anyone who dreams of an America that is not the world's most imprisoned nation (Chris Hayes, author of _A Colony in a Nation_). It transforms our understanding of what ails the American system of punishment and ultimately forces us to reconsider how we can build a more equitable and humane society.

### Author Biography

**John F. Pfaff** is a Professor of Law at Fordham Law School. His work on mass incarceration, prosecutors, and criminal justice reform has been covered in the _Economist_, the _New Yorker_, the _New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Review, Slate_, and _Vox_, among many others. He has a JD and a PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

**Number of Pages:** 320

**Dimensions:** 1.3 x 9.3 x 6.2 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** February 07, 2017

## Details

- **Price:** 32.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 32.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Locked in: The True Causes of Mass Incarceration-And How to Achieve Real Reform - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/locked-in-the-true-causes-of-mass-incarceration-and-how-to-achieve-real-reform-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-21