Prisons and Imprisonment: An Introduction

Contents
Abbreviations
List of Figures
1 Introduction
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Why Prisons and Imprisonment?
1.3 Outline of the Book
1.4 Using Prisons and Imprisonment
1.5 A Note on Language
1.6 Geographic Scope
1.7 Prisons, Imprisonment and Society
References/Further Reading
Part I Punishment and Prison
2 The Prison Emerges
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Punishment Before the Prison
2.3 The Search for the ‘Model’ Prison Begins
United States of America
United Kingdom
2.4 From Imprisonment to Confinement
2.5 Conclusion
References/Further Reading
3 Justifying Imprisonment as Punishment
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Justifying Punishment
3.3 Retributivism
3.4 Consequentialism
Deterrence
Incapacitation
Rehabilitation
3.5 Conclusion
References/Further Reading
4 Who Is Punished?
4.1 Introduction
4.2 A Place for the Most Dangerous and Violent Law-Breakers?
4.3 The Unequal Distribution of Punishment and Imprisonment
Imprisoning the Poor
Racial Disparity in Imprisonment
A Criminal Justice Response to Social or Health Issues?
4.4 The Ripple Effects—Further Marginalising the Marginalised?
4.5 Conclusion
References/Further Reading
Part II Understanding the Experiences of the Prison
5 Life, Culture and Adaptation in Prison
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Power, Relationships and Culture
Prisonization
5.3 The Origins of Prison Culture—Deprivation vs. Importation
Deprivation and the ‘Pains of Imprisonment’ in the ‘Society of Captives’
The Evolution of the ‘Pains of Imprisonment’
The Prison as a ‘Total Institution’?
Importation of Outside Culture into the Prison Community
Moving Beyond the Importation/Deprivation Divide
5.4 A Universal Culture for a Single Prison Community?
5.5 Conclusion
References/Further Reading
6 The Gendered Nature of Imprisonment
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Gender, Punishment and Confinement of Women
6.3 Imprisonment of Women in a Global Context
6.4 Who Are the Women Being Imprisoned?
6.5 Women’s Experience of Imprisonment
Meeting Women’s Needs or Furthering Gendered Expectations?
6.6 Masculinity and Imprisonment
6.7 The Imprisonment of Transgender People
6.8 Conclusion
References/Further Reading
7 Prisoners and Protest
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Structure, Agency and Resistance
7.3 Uprisings, Strikes and Disturbances
7.4 Prisoners’ Rights Movements
7.5 Resistance: Outside and Inside
7.6 Conclusion
References/Further Reading
8 Prison in Popular Culture
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Prisons and News Media
8.3 Prison Films and TV Drama
Characteristics of a Prison Film
Characters in Prison Films
Plot Themes in Prison Films
Absent Realities in Prison Dramas
Damaging Depictions or a Tool for Reform?
8.4 Documentaries as a Window into Life Inside?
8.5 Conclusion
References/Further Reading
Part III The Penal Framework
9 Prisoners’ Rights
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Punishment and Civil Death
9.3 Human Rights and Imprisonment
9.4 Prison Rules and Prisoners’ Rights
9.5 ‘Rights on the Books’ and ‘Rights in Action’
9.6 Prisoners and Civil Rights
9.7 Conclusion
References/Further Reading
10 Governing Prisons
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Prisons and Social Order
10.3 Prison Rules and Daily Life
10.4 Regime and Routine
10.5 Oversight, Monitoring and Legitimacy
10.6 Self-Governance and Social Order
10.7 Conclusion
References/Further Reading
11 Working in Prison
11.1 Introduction
11.2 The Demographics of Prison Staff
11.3 The Role(s) of a Prison Officer
11.4 Staff-Prisoner Relationships and Prison Work
11.5 The Working Conditions and Challenges of Prison Work
11.6 Prison Officer Culture
11.7 Conclusion
References/Further Reading
12 The Architecture of Incarceration
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Symbolism and Structure
12.3 International Standards
12.4 Place and Space
12.5 Improving the Penal Environment
12.6 New Prisons—Old Philosophies?
12.7 Conclusion
References/Further Reading
Part IV Politics and Penality
13 Comparative Penology
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Imprisonment Worldwide
13.3 Assessing Punitiveness
13.4 Comparing Penal Systems
United States of America
Norway
England and Wales
13.5 Conclusion
References/Further Reading
14 The Future of the Prison
14.1 Introduction
14.2 The Possibility of a Better Prison: Arguments for Reform
The Legacy of Prison Reform
Improving the System from Within
Alternative Visions of the Reformed Prison
14.3 The Limitations of Reform and the Case for Prison Abolition
Prisons as Inherently Harmful Places
Disproportionate Harm for Marginalised Communities
‘Crime’ as a Social Construct
Failure of Imprisonment to Meet Victims’ Needs
The Failures of Reform
14.4 A World Without Prisons? The Barriers to Abolition
Prison as a ‘Natural’ and Popular Response to Crime
Imprisonment as Necessary to Protect the Public
What Would We Do Instead to Address the Problems Prison Has Been Used For?
14.5 Alternatives to Prisons and Imprisonment
Restorative and Transformative Justice Initiatives
Therapeutic or ‘Intentional’ Communities
Tackling Inequality Through Justice Reinvestment
14.6 Reflecting on Your Reading so Far: Where Next for Prisons and Imprisonment?
References/Further Reading
Part V Researching Prisons and Imprisonment
15 Prison Research: Methods, Approaches and Sources
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Prisoners on Imprisonment
15.3 Telling Their Own Story
15.4 The Prison Researcher
15.5 Evaluating Sources
Ethics
Methods
Secondary Sources
Official and Semi-Official Sources
Penal Reform Organisations
Other Sources of Information
15.6 Conclusion
Appendix 1: Prisoner Autobiographies
Appendix 2: Online Resources for Researching Prisons and Imprisonment
References/Further Reading
Glossary
Index