Article
Opting Out: The Role of Identity, Capital, and Agency in Prison Visitation
Justice Quarterly
(2018)
Abstract
An emerging body of research suggests that prison visitation has implications for better understanding inmate institutional and post-release behavior, but not all inmates receive visits. The goal of the current study is to document barriers to visitation from the inmate perspective and describe the perspectives of those who receive very few or no visits. We also describe how inmate perceptions of visits impacts the way one does time and negotiates subsequent visitation. Using data from qualitative interviews, we find evidence that inmates make willful decisions when negotiating prison visits that are guided by one’s sense of self and further colored by the perceived social and economic strain on families. Our results challenge the perception of a universally positive visitation experience, and introduce the role of inmate choice in selecting into and out of prison visits.
Keywords
- prison,
- social capital,
- identity,
- agency,
- visitation
Disciplines
Publication Date
June 7, 2018
DOI
10.1080/07418825.2017.1339113
Citation Information
Breanne Pleggenkuhle, Beth M. Huebner and Monica Summers. "Opting Out: The Role of Identity, Capital, and Agency in Prison Visitation" Justice Quarterly Vol. 35 Iss. 4 (2018) p. 726 - 749 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/beth-huebner/4/