Intersectional Studies in Prisons Research: Prisons and Punishment in England and Wales

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the ways in which the prison estate in the United Kingdom has expanded so rapidly, locating the social and political influences that have resulted in the disproportionate incarceration of particular groups (Prison Reform Trust, 2005; McAvinchey, 2011). The chapter explores some of the issues identified within previous research examining how issues experienced within the prison system can be compounded by factors such as race, class, gender and sexuality (Van Hout, Kewley and Hillis, 2020; Bosworth and Carrabine, 2001; Cheliotis and Liebling, 2006). In doing so, this chapter calls for more empirical work to be done that explicitly engages with intersectionality as a framework and highlight the benefits of adopting this approach. In utilizing an intersectional framework, we will be able to better understand the unique, complex and nuanced experiences of those who are incarcerated.