NCJ Number
192314
Journal
Punishment & Society Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2001 Pages: 501-515
Date Published
October 2001
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The relationship between power and resistance behind prison walls has long been a topic in sociological discussions of imprisonment; this article advances a fresh understanding of resistance that recognizes the multifaceted dimensions of prisoner agency while acknowledging the dangers in controlling the strategies of prisoners in subverting penal power.
Abstract
This article presents examples of inmates' experiences in a number of penal establishments in England, so as to understand further the manner in which power in prison is constantly contested. The article shows how a variety of acts, from very ordinary discussions of institutional life to more dramatic and sometimes drastic events that occur during riots, can be considered strategies of resistance. The article draws attention to how seemingly entrenched and unchangeable power relations are dependent, to some extent at least, upon the performance of those small-scale and daily aspects of life that are often taken for granted. The examples of prison life drew on field work and research completed in the mid-1990's. The work covered both male and female experiences of incarceration. The study found that rather than experiencing incarceration passively, prisoners actively engaged in interpreting the legitimacy of their punishment, their peers, and their opportunities. In order to engage actively with the regime and with one another, prisoners must construct themselves as agents, despite the restrictions placed upon them. To do so, they draw on their experiences outside the prison walls. In turn, the strategies of resistance they select or reject, as well as the issues they attempt to subvert or support, reflect their race, gender, and sexuality. These issues thus become central in an understanding of power relations in prison. 2 notes and 45 references