ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with an analysis of the historical trend where conservative forces strike back when American society progresses. Starting with the campaign on Barry Goldwater, it addresses fundamental shifts in American politics where “law and order” was adapted as part of the Republican Southern Strategy. The rhetoric of the debates involving the passage of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 which made the practice of public funding of prison education illegal is critically examined. Political rhetoric and discourse surrounding prisoners are analyzed including the 1988 Willie Horton smear campaign by George H.W. Bush and the 2014 “Kids Before Cons” campaign.
