RT Article
T1 Discouraging dignity: Linguistic barriers to transforming the prison environment
JF International journal of law, crime and justice
VO 82
SP 1
OP 12
A1 Horowitz, Veronica L.
A1 Chanenson, Steven L.
A1 Uggen, Christopher J.
A1 Nario-Lopez, Hannah
A1 Andersen, Synøve Nygaard
A1 Hyatt, Jordan M.
A2 Chanenson, Steven L.
A2 Uggen, Christopher J.
A2 Nario-Lopez, Hannah
A2 Andersen, Synøve Nygaard
A2 Hyatt, Jordan M.
LA English
YR 2025
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1945014792
AB There has been a recent push towards person-first language to describe people detained in the carceral system. This paper widens that lens, focusing on the language used to describe individuals who work in the system, specifically those perceived as pursuing too much dignity for incarcerated people. The paper revolves around a qualitative analysis of data from semi-structured interviews with 14 DOC employees involved in a prison reform project. By semantically analyzing variations in language meaning and purpose, the study finds that reform-minded correctional officers differentiate how they talk to and about incarcerated people. Also salient is that prison staff can be subject to language-based stigma if they are perceived as too sympathetic to incarcerated people. Specifically, the terms "inmate-lover" and "hug-a-thug" are pejorative and are employed by other correctional officers to undermine reform-oriented colleagues. We explore the various definitions and meanings of these terms and contemplate their policy significance.
K1 Corrections
K1 Person-first language
K1 Prison
K1 Reform
K1 Stigma
DO 10.1016/j.ijlcj.2025.100755