Randall G. Shelden

Randall G. Shelden is Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He is the author and co-author of several books on crime and criminal justice, including Controlling the Dangerous Classes: a Critical Introduction to the History of Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice in America: a Critical View, Girls, Delinquency and Juvenile Justice and Youth Gangs in American Society. His latest book is Delinquency and Juvenile Justice in American Society, to be released this summer. A more detailed version of this series, complete with

3 pieces

Commentary

Slavery in the Third Millennium, Part III – Human Bondage Revisited: the Return of the Chain Gang

By Randall G. Shelden

In Maricopa County, Arizona (Phoenix), Sheriff Joe Arpaio is the self-proclaimed “toughest sheriff in America.” He requires his inmates “to enroll in chain gangs to perform various community services. The alternative is lockdown with three other inmates in an 8- by 12-foot cell, for 23 hours a day. Chain gang participants wear uniforms with black…

In Maricopa County, Arizona (Phoenix), Sheriff Joe Arpaio is the self-proclaimed “toughest sheriff in America.” He requires his inmates “to enroll in chain gangs to perform…

Continue reading 7 min

Commentary

Slavery in the Third Millennium, Part II

By Randall G. Shelden

One popular method of controlling ex-slaves, while perpetuating a form of slavery, was convict leasing. This was introduced throughout the South because “free” blacks represented such a threat to white supremacy, convict leasing would be just another form of chattel slavery that would function to keep the black race in a subordinate position. Some might…

One popular method of controlling ex-slaves, while perpetuating a form of slavery, was convict leasing. This was introduced throughout the South because “free” blacks represented such…

Continue reading 8 min

Commentary

Slavery in the Third Millennium

By Randall G. Shelden

The winter, 2005 issue of Contexts (a leading sociology journal) featured a photo essay on the infamous Cummins Prison Farm in Arkansas. One photo showed about twenty convicts in a field picking cotton, while a white guard stood over them. Another photo showed a tractor pulling about 8 carts filled with convicts returning from the…

The winter, 2005 issue of Contexts (a leading sociology journal) featured a photo essay on the infamous Cummins Prison Farm in Arkansas. One photo showed about…

Continue reading 6 min