On the Penitentiary System in the United States and its Application to France

This book provides  the first complete, literal English translation of Alexis de Tocqueville’s and Gustave de Beaumont’s first edition of On the Penitentiary System in the United States and Its Application to France.  The work contains a critical comparison of two competing American penitentiary disciplines known as the Auburn and Philadelphia systems, an evaluation of whether American penitentiaries can successfully work in France, a detailed description of Houses of Refuge as the first juvenile detention centers, and an argument against penal colonization. The work provides valuable insights into understanding Tocqueville as a statesman, as well as a comparative look at civic engagement in early American and French penal reform movements. The Translator’s Introduction provides historical context for understanding Tocqueville’s work in French penal reform and the major themes of the report.  The book thus fills a void in Tocquevillian studies and extrapolates the roots of American and French criminal justice systems in the nineteenth century.

Emily Katherine Ferkaluk is Instructor of Political Science at Cedarville University, USA. She received her M.A. and Ph.D from the University of Dallas.  Her research interests include a study of Alexis de Tocqueville's discussion of American religion, politics, and penal institutions; motherhood and politics; and questions of constitutional law.

“Crime and punishment are two of the hottest topics in policy circles these days. But the public debate suffers from a neglect of how the great thinkers of the past addressed these matters. Emily Ferkaluk’s elegant translation of Tocqueville’s work on penal reform, written with his friend Beaumont, is, remarkably, the first complete literal one ever done in English. It shows that Tocqueville’s views in this area deserve as much attention as his thinking on localism and civil religion.” (Stephen Eide, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, USA)

“Tocqueville came to America to study prisons. Americans come to Tocqueville to study democracy. Now, thanks to Emily Ferkaluk's readily accessible and very reliable translation, Americans can come to Tocqueville to study what he came for. This is a very welcome addition to the English language Tocqueville corpus.” (Michael Zuckert, Nancy R. Dreux Professor of Political Science, University of Notre Dame, USA)

“Emily Ferkaluk’s new translation of Alexis de Tocqueville’s book on the American penitentiary system is impressive work. Ferkaluk’s engagingly erudite introduction traces the personal and historical contexts surrounding Tocqueville’s interest in carceral reform. The translation is both precise and fluid, with especially helpful, unobtrusive notes explaining historical references and linguistic nuances. The book will be of particular interest to scholars of Tocqueville, prison reform, and nineteenth-century France and America. It is highly recommended.” (Matthew W. Maguire, Associate Professor of History, DePaul University, USA)