Researcher(s)
- Blessing Nyameke, Criminal Justice, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Chrysanthi Leon, Criminal Justice, University of Delaware
Abstract
In the academic research concerning the criminal-legal system, much has been written about individuals who encounter corrections by serving time behind bars—primarily of their experiences prior and during incarceration, while much less attention has been given to those who encounter corrections through employment. This gap is notable because correctional workers significantly impact the experiences and outcomes of incarcerated people. At the same time, the existing literature identifies re-entry into society as a particular phase in the system that is in dire need of improvement, as the vast majority of people incarcerated are eventually released back into their communities.
This research questions how language frames recognition of humanity among those who work in the carceral system and those who experience it firsthand. How formerly incarcerated people are regarded by general society is closely related to its recognition (or lack thereof) of their humanity in light of their crimes. Through analysis of the words and language mechanisms used to describe personal experiences, this oral history project contributes to the limited literature on correctional employees, while expanding the dialogue about re-entry.
Language use operates at both micro and macro levels. At the micro-level, it operates through specific word choice and use of figurative devices; at the macro-level it functions through the medium of storytelling itself. At either, language can facilitate empathy between individuals or act as a barrier to it. For example, allowing someone the agency to narrate their experiences affirms them individually as three-dimensional, rather than reducing them to just their criminal record. Conversely, language can be used to place others into nonhuman categories, which removes the responsibility of having to give value to their experiences.
This research makes use of oral history techniques, including oral interviews with correctional workers and formerly incarcerated individuals, alongside systematic coding of interview transcripts. Across eleven interviews, recurring themes of humanization, empathy and identity emerged. From this pool, three interviews illustrated these themes with particular clarity. The findings suggest that language not only reflects whether or not an individual is recognized as human, it also plays an active role in granting them humanity or withholding it from them. It also makes a critical distinction between recognition of humanity and absolution of wrongdoing. Broadly speaking, these findings have important implications for the value of unheard perspectives in shaping discourse about punishment, crime and justice.