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There are over nine million men, women and children in prison around the world, and the number of people in prison in England and Wales has increased significantly in recent years. Yet in many respects prison remains the last secretive public institution in our society. Understanding Prisons provides a unique, in-depth examination of prisons how they function, what they achieve, and their historical and political context. The book: . Describes how prisons developed into their present form. Looks at who is sent to prison and what happens to them while they are there. Explains how the prison system and staff in England and Wales are organised. Examines how order and control is maintained and how high security prisons operate. Looks at prisoners families and the wider community. Offers a future vision of the prison system. This is essential reading for criminology and sociology students and researchers, criminal justice practitioners, the media and members of the public who are interested in learning more about the closed world of the prison