Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part I - early human societies -- Punishment in hunting and gathering societies -- Early civilizations and a transformation of punishment -- Part II - the classical and postclassical periods -- The classical societies -- The postclassical period and the role of religion -- Part III - the early modern period, 1450-1800 -- The empires of Asia and Eastern Europe -- New prisons and new ideas in Western Europe -- Punishment in the new European colonies -- Part IV - the nineteenth century -- An age of reform and its limitations: Western Europe and beyond -- Reform efforts in Asia, Russia, and Latin America -- Punishment in the new empires: from the 19th century to the mid-1950s -- Part V - the contemporary period -- Major changes -- Regional patterns in the contemporary period.

"This book focuses on major changes in punishment patterns during the principal phases of world history, tracing continuities, reforms, and regional differences. With far-reaching coverage of a variety of human civilizations in history, this book is a core resource for students and scholars of the history of corrections, world history, and criminal justice"-- Provided by publisher.