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Author Archives: Anthony Vaver

Anthony Vaver has broad expertise in the social and cultural history of crime and punishment. He holds a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and an M.L.S. from Rutgers University.

Prisons and Punishments: The Treadmill Song

Thursday, January 24, 2013

From the Amateur STATE PRISON MELODIES. The Treadmill Song The stars are rolling in the sky, The earth rolls on below, And we can feel the rattling wheel Revolving as we go, Then tread away, my gallant boys, And make the axle fly; Why shouldn’t wheels go round about, Like planets in the sky? Wake […]

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Saddened and Angered by the Newtown Tragedy?: Join Me in a Simple Act

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Over the years of writing this blog, I have resisted as much as possible the temptation to use this forum as a means of promoting my political views. But the mass shooting at the elementary school in Newtown, CT last week is a tipping point. My sadness for the families of the victims in this […]

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Prisons and Punishments: Inventive Ways to Cut Prison Costs

Friday, December 7, 2012

Cutting government budgets is on the minds of almost everyone nowadays. All levels of government seem to have empty coffers and are looking for new ways to save money in the midst of persistent societal needs. This situation is prompting many state governments to reexamine how they punish their criminals and to look for creative […]

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In the Media: Insights into Researching Early American Crime

Monday, November 19, 2012

When I speak at libraries, historical societies, and other groups about early American crime, I am often asked where and how I find information about these historical criminals. The short answer is that I generally use a combination of databases that are freely available on the Web and subscription databases that I access through local […]

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Crime Poems: Robert Young’s True Character

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Fifteen year-old Robert Young used his time in Dublin in 1765 to find his true character. He decided that he was “an absolute hater of all sorts of strong liquor,” but he also discovered that he was “much inclined to the company of women.” This inclination moved him to try his hand at seducing one […]

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