A broad survey of the historical development of the prison in the Middle East. The Middle Eastern prison has been a potent site of penal practice, political struggle, social definition and cultural contest. This is evident in its establishment and growth as an instrument of colonial and statepower, and its political relevance in containing dissent and legitimating authority: it reflects much about the society of which it is a part.

This book addresses the development of prison practice in the Middle East (the Arab world, including North Africa, the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish Republic, and Iran) through the 19th century and into the first half of the 20th century. It opens new fields of enquiry by placing contemporary practices and issues such as the treatment of Iraqi inmates at Abu Ghraib and extraordinary rendition within their historical context. And it provides an important comparative resource for the historical development of the prison internationally. Addressing the practice of imprisonment in a range ofinstitutional settings (prisons, reformatories, labour and concentration camps), detailed case and thematic studies are used to illustrate particular aspects and ideas.