Introduction. Stateville revisited: debates with James B. Jacobs on the validity of his work 40 years later

Introduction to the round table discussion with James B. Jacobs, author of the classic study on the sociology of prisons Stateville: The Penitentiary in Mass Society, on the validity of his work 40 years later. In this introductory text we present the book and discuss why it remains relevant today. The commentaries that follow reflect on various topics examined in Jacobs’ book and the current situation of Spanish prisons. More specifically, the issues debated in the round table included the role of prison staff in prison reform and their racial profiles, political and social influences on the transformation of prison authority, the privatization of punishment, the imposition of order in women’s prisons and education in prison.