This book traces the fascinating development of the New Zealand Prison System which includes the history of penology prior to the phenomenon coming there. But this book is not only a history: it is also an exploration of more complex managerial and social issues concerning crime and its treatment, including the interweaving of different penal policies that have brought the situation to where it is today. As such, it raises psychological issues of isolation in all shades of confinement, captivity, and deprivation that will appeal to everyone who is trying to grapple with the administrative, clinical, and legal problems they create. The work also traces the origins of imprisonment as a strategy used by rulers and ruling classes to retain their power, and more recently by duly elected governments to maintain social control and good order in their communities.