The Warehouse: A Visual Primer on Mass Incarceration

Convicted Symbionese Liberation Army fugitive turned social reform activist Kilgore (Sister Mercy’s Revenge) and artist Liu (Bang!) graphically and tersely convey the enormity of the U.S. carceral system. They start with the “Big Picture” chapter and view of a nation with the most extensive incarceration system in history. Their book shows there’s been exponential growth of the imprisoned population since the early 1970s when President Richard Nixon declared a “war on drugs.” Now, there’s the alarming statistic that the U.S. incarcerates four times its population. That number includes inmates in detention centers, local jails, and federal and state prisons. They point out that people of color, LGBTQIA+ people, and people with disabilities are disproportionately incarcerated the most. Their book illustrates how and why prisons became big business, shifting from rehabilitation to punishment at exorbitant taxpayer costs amounting to roughly $182 billion annually. Complete with personalized vignettes, the book’s message is enhanced with sobering, step-by-step illustrations of incarceration, from jailing and sentencing to life in prison and beyond.