In his introductory essay, Sarkin (law, university of the Western Cape, Cape Town) puts the condition of prisons in Africa in the context of prisons everywhere. He notes that prisons were not common in pre-colonial Africa. Instead, compensation was made to victims for criminal behavior. Essays following focus first on the history of human rights in prisons, pointing out that the first prisons were built to house captives for the slave trade. The problems of poverty, overcrowding and disease are considered, as well as the reluctance of many governments to reveal information on treatment of prisoners. Chapters look at the situation of women and children. Some children are incarcerated with their mothers; others are arrested and put in with adults. Women are in some cases imprisoned for trying to leave an abusive marriage. After stating the problems, solutions are considered. Alternative sentencing and rehabilitation programs are evaluated. Lastly, the role of the African Commission in monitoring abuses is explained. This is an important discussion of a world wide problem. Books from the Human Sciences Research Council, based in South Africa, are distributed in the US by Independent Publishers Group. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)