“Free but Still Walking the Yard”: Prisonization and the Problems of Reentry
People returning to society after incarceration often experience a type of shock while they are forced to reorient themselves to a new social and physical environment. This feeling usually fades over time, but is often ignored in reentry research. Drawing on interviews and observation with people recently released from prison, this ethnographic study examines how people navigate this 'reorientation' period. The author highlights examples that are often overlooked, such as craving certain meals that they ate while incarcerated or feeling the need to wear sandals in their own shower because that's what they did while incarcerated, to show how difficult it is for a person to 'retrain' their mind and body after it has been so used to living in captivity.
Martin, L. (2018). “Free but Still Walking the Yard”: Prisonization and the Problems of Reentry. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 47(5), 671–694. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241617737814
OR
Open Access Source: https://booksc.org/book/67599691/9617b7
Recent Posts
See AllTherapeutic correctional spaces, transcarceral interventions: post-release support structures and...
Evidence-based reentry practices are often ineffective and unhelpful for formerly incarcerated women. This article provides a thorough analysis of relevant research and finds that 'best practices' for
The reentry industry, as an extension of the carceral state, is a well-functioning engine of structural and racialized inequity in U.S. society. Based on three years of relationship-building with and
Black men with criminal records experience intersectional oppression. Utilizing a critical ethnography lens and interviews with nine different Black men in the process of reentry, this study examines