This course is designed to educate students on the topic of the American penal and corrections system, the correctional theories that have shaped this system, and developments in punishment and control. Punishment has been one of the major social institutions in American society across time and place, making it an integral part of social theory and philosophy. Starting with a historical and cultural framework and the socially vast ways punishment is practiced/enacted, we will move into more modern and popular opinions regarding punishment and how this issue is not only relevant in the American context, but a global and scientific issue as well.