Not so multicultural prison: Polish prisoners in a transitional prison system

Abstract

The aim of this article is to examine how a group of Polish male prisoners negotiate daily life in prison custody in Northern Ireland. In a jurisdiction emerging from years of armed conflict, the prison system is currently undergoing structural changes to bring it in line with other systems providing peacetime custody. Alongside that reform, another transition is evident, that of a rapidly increasing diversity of the prison population. Unlike elsewhere in the UK, the number of foreign national prisoners in Northern Ireland began increasing only in the last decade. Analysing the ways in which Polish prisoners negotiate relationships with other prisoners and staff, the article concludes that many live in a prison within prison, with a high wall of communication barriers around them, suspended before their entry into custody and the ever-looming moment of deportation. The prison system, largely unprepared to deal with more diverse populations, facilitates their existence in 'mono-cultural boxes' in the meantime.

Men’s Health Across the Lifespan: Health and Wellbeing of Older Male Prisoners

“…Specific challenges for foreign national prisoners in NI include language barriers, difficulty accessing information, and the potential threat of deportation, all of which may be detrimental to health and wellbeing and to accessing healthcare while in prison. 60 Outside of NI, research has highlighted the substantial hardship experienced by Irish Traveller prisoners, which is linked to racism and discrimination. 61 Irish Travellers experience higher rates of addiction, mental distress, and suicide in the community than the general population, which undoubtedly has important implications for healthcare provision for this group of people in prisons.…”

Peer support as a bridge for participation in prison activities and services: A qualitative study with foreign national prisoners

“…Second, peer support can take place informally, without being formally supported or organised (Brosens, 2019; Jaffe, 2012). Informational support from compatriots is important for newly-arrived foreign nationals, as the information provided to them upon induction is often inadequate (Martynowicz, 2016). Moreover, during participation in prison activities, peers provide information to one another (Martynowicz, 2016; Van Kalmthout et al, 2007), or encourage foreign nationals to participate (Croux et al, 2019a).…”

“…Informational support from compatriots is important for newly-arrived foreign nationals, as the information provided to them upon induction is often inadequate (Martynowicz, 2016). Moreover, during participation in prison activities, peers provide information to one another (Martynowicz, 2016; Van Kalmthout et al, 2007), or encourage foreign nationals to participate (Croux et al, 2019a). Furthermore, prisoners help one another by serving as interpreters to bridge the language barrier (Martínez-Gómez, 2014).…”

Daily details of young foreign inmates in Portugal: a case study

“…Em traços largos, as respostas reabilitativas têm-se revelado anémicas, avulsas ou mesmo arbitrárias, conforme o que tem vindo a ser identificado quer pelos estrangeiros em reclusão (Gomes, 2017;Trombik, 2007;Moraes Rocha, 2001); quer pelos staffs prisionais (RuizGarcia e Castillo-Algarra, 2014; Gomes, Machado e Silva, 2012;Hostettler e Acherman, 2008;Kalmouth et al, 2007). Com efeito, temos um maior número de estudos qualitativos no panorama prisional europeu por forma a perceber quer a eficiência quer a lassidão dos staffs prisionais em fazer face a várias questões sensíveis relativas a cidadãos não nacionais sob tutela penitenciária (Mulgrew, 2016 a;Slade, 2016) bem como as vivências prisionais de convivência social (Martynowicz, 2016;Shammas, 2015;Cunha, 2002).…”

“…Nesse sentido, Holifu não explicitou nenhum caso particular de conflito aberto. Martynowicz (2016) designou o ensejo das nacionais polacas pretenderem ficar próximas entre si no seio penitenciário irlandês com base, nomeadamente, de uma identidade nacional e numa língua comum de "identidade pragmática grupal" (pp. 342).…”