Do prisons cause radicalization? Order, leadership, political charge and violence in two maximum security prisons

Sociological studies of prisons require expanded methodologies and interdisciplinary concepts to address challenges posed by changing prisoner demographics and transformed geopolitics. We aim to revitalize sociological inquiry on prisons and prisoner leadership by focussing on the question of whethe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Williams, Ryan (Author)
Contributors: Liebling, Alison
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2023
In: The British journal of criminology
Year: 2023, Volume: 63, Issue: 1, Pages: 97-114
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Summary:Sociological studies of prisons require expanded methodologies and interdisciplinary concepts to address challenges posed by changing prisoner demographics and transformed geopolitics. We aim to revitalize sociological inquiry on prisons and prisoner leadership by focussing on the question of whether prisons cause radicalization. Our findings support those of the most persuasive original studies: distinct prison climates generate different hierarchies, only some of which are violent. Through extensive fieldwork we explore the differences between a prison with high levels of ‘political charge’, or anger, and another with less, drawing on extremist events that unfolded over time. We contrast the dangerous dynamics of prison 1 with the more fluid, prosocial religious explorations facilitated by prison 2, considering the implications for prison radicalization studies.
ISSN:1464-3529
DOI:10.1093/bjc/azab122