Escape to Prison

About this book

"The resurrection of former prisons as museums has caught the attention of tourists along with scholars interested in studying dark tourism. Unsurprisingly, due to their grim subject matter, prison museums tend to invert the 'Disney' experience, becoming the antithesis of 'the happiest place on earth.' With a keen eye on punishment and culture, criminologist Michael Welch explores ten prison museums on six continents, examining the complex interplay between culture and punishment. From Alcatraz to Argentina, from South Africa to South Korea, museums constructed on the former locations of surveillance, torture, colonial control, and possibly even rehabilitation each tell a unique tale about the economic, political, religious, and scientific roots of each site's historical relationship to punishment"--Provided by publisher.