Abstract
Essays
Introduction
There is a wealth of literature that chronicles the “pains of imprisonment” (Sykes, 1958) and the devastating impact that imprisonment has on an individual. The overriding theme of this chapter describes the process by which the culture of prisons produce and perpetuate conditions for violence. Present across all of these essays in one form or the other is the notion that the culture created and upheld within prisons not only provokes but often necessitates violence through adaptation to an inmate code of survival first explored by Clemmer (1940). This is best exemplified by one of the authors in this section: “violence breeds violence within these captive walls and inside these walls lies a different world than what society assembles its citizens to abide by” (Kicking Horse, this issue).
In the first essay, Dr. Jason Kahler distinguishes between “hard” and “soft” violence while reflecting on his time at a low-security prison. While hard violence refers to physical forms of prison violence, covert forms of “soft” violence are much more pervasive and sinister, disguised within seemingly innocuous daily activities such as being called to the lieutenant’s office, or exerted through control over the mail room, and persistent even after release through barriers to housing and employment. Dr. Lukas Carey observes that while not everyone experiences physical violence while incarcerated, mental violence is ubiquitous. Christian Bolden also reflects on soft violence and characterizes American prisons as inherently violent, stating “if harm is present, though it was avoidable, violence is present.” Bolden speaks about the structural and cultural chaos of prison that he was subject to starting at the age of 17 when he was told he had to “fight to survive.” In explicating another form of soft violence, Toby Michael brings attention to the fines and fees of prison and how this perpetuates the cycle of poverty and survival-oriented behavior. Richa’s account of his experience in prison also considers psychological violence in the form of segregation and isolation as well as the disempowerment that comes with the ever-present threat of physical violence in prison. He recounts that his small acts of resistance against the guards – although met with punishment – were necessary for him. Lastly, Kicking Horse shares in his reflection the trauma and dehumanization experienced in his 35 years incarcerated.
The call for submissions for this special issue also coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which devastated prisons. By summer 2021, it was reported that at least 2,700 people died of COVID in connection to U.S. prisons, jails, and immigration detention centers – but the toll is likely much higher.
Accordingly, we also share an essay that reflects on the pandemic – and the state response – as a form of institutional violence. Johnson details his role as a volunteer medical assistant in the Missouri prison where he is incarcerated. Alex Calderone reminds us how COVID-19 represents broader societal failures and social inequalities in his analysis of the carceral state during the pandemic. Taken together, these essays provide a lens into how a deadly virus exacerbates the violence of incarceration.
It is evident within this collection of essays that the collateral effects of incarceration span well beyond the time spent behind bars, and the experience of violence is multifaceted, extending beyond the traditionally considered forms of in-prison violence.