Convict Criminology

TLDR:

• Convict Criminology is a subschool of criminology that believes experiences of incarceration have a lot to add

• Remembering to challenge mainstream voices is a crucial part of academic activism

• I make up some cool sounding words

Sometimes in academia, you come across a way of understanding that reminds you why you fell in love with learning in the first place. I hear a lot of bookish folk talk about something I call ‘bibliocholy’; the sadness that comes with knowing you will never be able to read every book. I think this is also applicable to knowledge; ‘epistemocholy’ if you will. This low comes only when you’ve had the high of reading a really great book or discovering a trove of knowledge. I most recently felt this about Convict Criminology.

Convict Criminology is a subfield of criminology where incarceration experienced persons, or those interested in their perspectives, use their experiences to supplement criminological research. Essentially, Convict Criminology argues that research is richer if the voices of those with ‘insider’ experience of prisons are allowed to challenge mainstream ‘outsider’ arguments.1 Convict Criminology in its current form was established in America in the 1970s, with the key publication ‘The Journal of Prisoners on Prisons’ coming a bit later in 1988.23 It is now a worldwide school of thought. The first article specifically citing ‘Convict Criminology’ was published in 2001, which in academic terms makes it shiny and new.

I liked Convict Criminology when I first heard of it because of my experientialist (believing that experiencing something is the best form of gaining knowledge) leanings. As is reflected throughout my work, there is no better way to understand someone’s thoughts than to ask them, and there is no better way to find out the realities of living in prison than to live in one. Once my research started, I found an even warmer home in the work of Convict Criminologists as they questioned and criticised the underlying principles of criminology, and argued for the fairer treatment of incarcerated persons.4

I still work a lot with Convict Criminology. The essence of the project, to prioritise the voices of incarceration experienced persons, is a mission that I will carry with me forever. But most importantly, it is crucial to remember that just because a form of understanding is dominant, it doesn’t make it correct. Power is interwoven into academia, and indeed all forms of knowledge production. The voices that are heard, when they are given the chance to speak, and the impact of those words are all deeply political.

I started this blog talking about the nonsense word ‘epistemocholy’, so I will end with another new word: ‘epistephoria’, the joy of learning something new. You can’t have one without the other, and I will always be grateful to Convict Criminology for reminding me that academia should be a place for everyone.