Spanning the late 1700s and early 1800s, Jen Manion's Liberty's Prisoners examines the rich history of the penal system in early America. Using records from the Walnut St Prison and Eastern State Penitentiary, Manion paints a stirring portrait of incarcerated people. In doing so, she gives agency to the vast swathes of women, immigrants and working poor who have long been subject to an unjust justice system. Even though I am a newcomer to the field of carcarel studies, I found this text to be accessible and informative!