The Carceral Studies Network site organizes material by topical themes and resource type. These resources are split into two kinds: research and pedagogy. The resources below are a sampling of the former, and are curated to help researchers more easily find relevant resources for their study. Here, users can browse resources like scholarly articles and books, multimedia films and podcasts, news aggregators like The Marshall Project, and innovative projects like HAL: States of Incarceration.
To share resources that we do not yet feature, use this link. We regret that we cannot host everything we receive, and new materials may take awhile to appear on the site. We welcome feedback on this organization during the site’s beta period.
Race and Punishment in American Prisons
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory Jeremiah C. Olson May 5, 2016 This article deals with prison staffing conditions and standards and how they effect the use of solitary confinement in the prison system. The article also deals with staff perceptions of the inmates and their crimes often determines who ends up in solitary confinement. More Information
Disrupting the Carceral State Through Education Journey Mapping
International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education Subini A. Annamma Tuesday, August 23, 2016 Annamma looks at the intersections between race and disability in the School to Prison Pipeline and particularly in incarceration. More Information
Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy
Heather Ann Thompson On September 9, 1971, nearly 1,300 prisoners took over the Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York to protest years of mistreatment. Holding guards and civilian employees hostage, the prisoners negotiated with officials for improved conditions during the four long days and nights that followed. On September 13, the state abruptly sent… Read More »Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy
The Counted
People killed by police in the US The Guardian The Counted is a project by the Guardian – and you – working to count the number of people killed by police and other law enforcement agencies in the United States throughout 2015 and 2016, to monitor their demographics and to tell the stories of how… Read More »The Counted
Prison Public Memory Project
Working with Communities to Preserve the Past and Unlock the Future Prison Public Memory Project January 1, 2011 The Prison Public Memory Project engages people from all walks of life in conversation, reflection and learning about the complex role of prisons in communities and society. The Project works with individuals and organizations in communities with… Read More »Prison Public Memory Project
The Ethics of Captivity
Lori Gruen’s 2015 course, Wesleyan There are a variety of forms of captivity and a wide array of individuals who are kept in captivity. In this blog, we will explore the conditions of captivity (including prisons, zoos, sanctuaries, and others), and explore the variety of ethical and political issues that captivity raises for humans and… Read More »The Ethics of Captivity
Into the Abyss
A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life Werner Herzog In his fascinating exploration of a triple homicide case in Conroe, Texas, master filmmaker Werner Herzog probes the human psyche to explore why people kill-and why a state kills. In intimate conversations with those involved, including 28-year-old death row inmate Michael Perry (scheduled to die… Read More »Into the Abyss
Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror
the Equal Justice Initiative October 11, 2016 “Our history of racial terror casts a shadow across the U.S. landscape. We must engage it more honestly.” Video produced by the Equal Justice Initiative. More Information
Dying Inside
Elderly in Prison Fault Lines Al Jazeera July 6, 2010 The massive prison population in the U.S. is getting older. Long sentences that were handed out decades ago are catching up with the American justice system, and prisons across the country are dedicating entire units just to house the elderly. During difficult economic times, the issue… Read More »Dying Inside
Inside-Outside Alliance
Amplifying the voices of Durham’s incarcerated population and their loved ones Inside Outside Alliance Durham, NC Inside-Outside Alliance is a group of people trying to support the struggles of those inside (or formerly inside) Durham County jail, and their families and friends. We recognize that any of us can be outside one day, inside the next–the… Read More »Inside-Outside Alliance
Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project
Harvard Law School Tuesday, March 22, 2016 The Prison Legal Assistance Project (PLAP) is a student practice organization in which students represent inmates in Massachusetts prisons. PLAP student attorneys argue at disciplinary hearings on behalf of prisoners charged with violating prison regulations. PLAP students also argue before the Massachusetts Parole Board for prisoners facing parole… Read More »Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project
Three shifts of an 11th hour
Scalawag Magazine Leroy E. Mann October 20, 2016 Writings from Leroy E. Mann, a resident of death row in Raleigh’s Central Prison, where he is a witness to the injustice of capital punishment. More Information