摘要：We are only now beginning to appreciate the full consequences of putting over eight million Americans in prison over the last thirty-five years, for a total of over forty-five million person years of incarceration since 1975.1 Examining the history and ongoing effects of these punitive policies on such a huge population through the lens of public health, using the standard metrics of epidemiology and life course studies, we can now identify the many risks imposed on the individuals, families, and communities most heavily affected. This history is important for the entire population, but especially for black men, whose rates of criminal prosecution and incarceration are at least an order of magnitude higher than those of whites.
