By John Irwin. Per the UC website:
Based on in-depth interviews and two years of participant observation of felons, this book traces the career paths of such criminal types as the thief, the hustler, and the junkie, as well as the non-criminal “square john.” The career of the felon, from early environment to crime to prison to parole, is explored from the point of view of the felon himself, a viewpoint seldom considered by the “straight” society in which the felon must learn to function.
Since its first publication, The Felon has quickly become a classic of criminal sociology.
Given how frequently I’ve seen it cited in other works on the carceral state, I’d have to agree.
So did a previous owner, who underlined it rather enthusiastically throughout — hope you passed the test, Lisa! — and there’s pretty extensive foxing/spotting to the page edges, especially at the top. It’ll get the job done as a research copy, though, and the cover design remains a corker.