The Criminals of Lima and Their Worlds

“[A] pathbreaking study of state punishment in Peru. . . .” - Carolyn Strange, Radical History Review

“[W]hat is exceptional is the innovative perspective that Aguirre takes in examining the world within four of Peru’s prisons…” - Shari Orisich, Hispanic American Historical Review

“Aguirre’s book is well organized and well written. It constitutes a model of how to combine in one investigation diverse sources, quantitative and qualitative methods, and levels of analysis.” - Iván Molina-Jiminéz, American Historical Review

“Many historians and most Latin Americanists will find this book engaging even if they lack interest in criminology. . . Carlos Aguirre addresses much more than the criminals of Lima and their world, giving readers an understanding of Peruvian society far beyond the walls of its prisons. .  . Aguirre has produced a work of impressive research. He analyzes a variety of topics, both broad and narrow in scope, and the completion of this difficult task merits commendation. This book contributes significantly to the understanding of Peruvian criminology, the penal system and Peruvian society in general.” - Michael Perri, Journal of Social History

“The author documents with excellence the long history of violent, inadequately administered prisons and explains the clash between prison reform doctrines and dominant social values that saw criminals as deserving poor treatment and severe punishment. . . . [A] fascinating book that presents important new material of interest not only to penologists but also to students of Peruvian and Latin American social history.” - Henrik Ronsbo, Bulletin of Latin American Research

“This is a well-researched historical understanding of institutions and confinement in Peru. … A major strength of this book is providing readers with key issues that are generally raised in the field of corrections while appreciating the importance of using a contextual framework….” - Pamela Schram, International Criminal Justice Review

“This well-researched, scholarly, and didactic work is highly recommended for professionals and serious students of history, law, corrections, and criminology.” - Colonial Latin American Historical Review

“Though the book steeps the reader in details, transporting her to a time and place that may be unfamiliar for many readers, it is accessible to nonspecialists and will no doubt enlighten many—not only about the history of Lima’s prisons but also about punishment and society in settings that are likely unfamiliar for many US readers.” - Angelina Snodgrass Godoy, Punishment and Society

"[A] broad ranging and highly rewarding study. . . . [Aguirre's] book helps pave the way for a new history of . . . Peru's modern period. . . . This book is not only a superb social and cultural history of Lima's prisons, but also a brilliant and challenging example of how some of the key issues in Peruvian history can be addressed." - Paulo Drinot, Journal of Latin American Studies

"[A] superbly researched and written book. . . . Aguirre's work contributes not only to our understanding of the Peruvian situation, but also provides an invaluable comparative perspective." - Kristin Ruggiero, The Americas

“The Criminals of Lima and Their Worlds is an exhaustively researched and pathbreaking historical inquiry. It will, I think, stand as the definitive study on the criminal population and prison experience in Lima for many years to come.” - Peter F. Klarén, author of Peru: Society and Nationhood in the Andes

“A comprehensive, well-researched, and insightful study, The Criminals of Lima and Their Worlds brings together in a single volume a series of issues that other studies have treated separately: attitudes toward criminals and the sociocultural construction of crime; strategies and quotidian practices of policing; the importation and imperfect adoption of European positivist criminology; prison regimes and the birth of the penitentiary; and the relationship between crime, the courts, and broader questions of political power.” - David S. Parker, author of The Idea of the Middle Class: White-Collar Workers and Peruvian Society, 1900–1950