Description
Book SynopsisBased on in-depth fieldwork in a medium-security training prison for men, The Prisoner Society offers a comprehensive analysis of contemporary imprisonment. In particular, it explains how penal power is exerted by the institution, how prisoners adapt to its terms, and the relationships, hierarchies, and everyday dynamics that characterise the prisoner social world.
Trade ReviewI have no doubt that The Prisoner Society will come to be seen as a classic text in the international canon of prison studies. Meanwhile, it should be read by everyone concerned with penal justice * Pat Carlen, British Journal of Criminology *
An engaging and beautifully-drawn account of the prison's social and cultural 'innards' which are normally hidden from view. The book is rich in texture and detail, theoretically sophisticated and - perhaps unusually for such a lenghthy book - never dull. This impressive volume in the highly regarded Clarendon Studies in Criminology series represents a major contribution to the tradition of sociological studies of the prison ...a significant investment ...it will not disappoint. * Gwen Robinson, The Howard Journal *
The Prisoner Society is a triumph of prisons sociology. In this thoroughly researched, elegantly written, immensely rewarding book, Ben Crewe achieves his stated ambition of revisiting and renewing the tradition of prison ethnography, It will surely swiftly attain the status of a modern classic, and confirm Crewe's reputation as an outstanding prisons scholar. * Alisa Stevens, The Sociological Review *
there is no better recent investigation of prisoner adaptation to the modern penal environment. * Robert Hauhart,Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews *
a rich, important, and frankly, excellent study * Jodie M. Lawston, Social Forces *
clearly energetic and resourceful [...] The book is scholarly, with every assertion tested and referenced, [...] well laid out, beautifully written and compellingly readable. * Christopher Padfield, Monitor Book Review *
This book is highly recommended and deserves to be read widely by prison professionals and will also undoubtedly be a source of reference for academics for years to come. * Jamie Bennett, Govenor of HMP Morton Hall, Prison Service Journal *
Table of ContentsAPPENDIX
