Prison Food: Philosophy and Practice

Korte inhoud:This chapter explores narratives of prison foodways through the lens of normalisation and the reduction of detention harm. Normalisation is argued to be subject to various pressures of institutional reality that can ease, or hamper, the introduction of the principle; making it difficult to achieve and sustain. This chapter considers, first, how the lived experiences of incarcerated respondents, reveal the extent to which food has had both positive and negative outcomes as part of normalisation. Secondly, imprisoned persons’ experiences with normalisation, and the rituals of cooking and eating in ways that resonate with the outside world, are discussed in the context of identity. Some systems, such as self-catering, support incarcerated individuals to develop a more nuanced sense of self beyond their status as ‘prisoner’, precisely because it allows realisation of other social roles. Consequently, the argument developed here suggests that the normalisation of prison foodways creates openings for imprisoned persons to regain control over their identity.

ISBN:978-3-030-96124-4

Jaar van publicatie:2022

Toegankelijkheid:Closed

Reviewstatus:Peerreview