The place of punishment: Variation in the provision of inmate services staff across the punitive turn

► Median state staff-to-inmate ratio for inmate services declined between 1979 and 2005. ► Across years, the spread of inmate services staff ratios overlapped substantially. ► Median Northeast state's inmate services ratio in 2005 higher than South's in 1979. ► The U.S.'s punitive turn was more variegated and partial than is often assumed.