Slavery, economics, race and convict leasing: A general and materialist history of punishment and prisons in Florida, 1840-1923

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper employs archival data and historical analysis to trace Florida’s penal history, and to connect that history to the economic and social context of the time. Section I reviews the history of Florida’s penal system, and the use of convict labor and avoidance of imprisonment from 1840 to 1923. Section II examines theoretical assumptions that guide the analysis of Florida’s prison history undertaken in Section III. Drawing upon the insights of Rusche and Kirchheimer, Section III examines Florida’s penal history in relation to economic and social trends and issues. Of particular importance to the discussion are concepts such as race, class, and marginalization.