| Description |
In light of rising incarceration rates due to a variety of factors including "tough-on-crime" policies, the war on drugs, and the industrialization of penal institutions, an understanding of penal institutions is increasingly important. The function of institutions has been the object of study for application-based research as well as theoretical inquiry. The combination of these - a critical inquiry into the effects of jail as an institution - is something that can complicate our understanding of the institution, its function, and its effect on the individual and community. Policing in general has more frequently come under scrutiny as a dynamic and changing society grapples with historical and social problems in the structure and implementation of authority over groups and individuals. Jail specifically, as a neglected site of research, plays an important role in the criminal justice system, housing a wide range of inmates before and after conviction. Further, qualitative research does not target penal institutions - jails in particular - with enough frequency to gather the nuanced and rich descriptions that such methodologies afford. This dissertation critiques issues of institutional power and impact by exploring the experience of inmates in county jail facilities. Interviews were conducted with over 23 inmates to better understand their experience of jail. Analysis of the interviews shows that inmates' experience consists of concerns around space, affect, relationality, and time. Findings extend, broaden, and/or deepen knowledge of the effect of institutions, specifically jail, with suggestions toward improved conditions and perspectives. |
