Prison History

Today's political debate on housing prisoners could benefit from a look back in time, according to historian Volker Janssen.

Best Article of the Year

Volker Janssen's research on California's prison camps earns him kudos for the best essay of the Journal of American History in 2009.

An Excerpt

Read a piece of Volker Janssen's award-winning article, "When the 'Jungle' Met the Forest: Public Work, Civil Defense, and Prison Camps in Postwar California."