"I've Been Down A Long Time": A Qualitative Study of Parolees from Texas Prisons

• In Event: Issues in Parole Supervision

Abstract

Correctional scholars have suggested that research describing the world of imprisonment can help us understand some of the consequences of incarceration, specifically how individuals experience incarceration and the ways in which these experiences effect their reentry and reintegration into society. Data on inmates paroled from Texas prisons after serving 15 or more years were collected to understand how they “do time” and the ways in which “doing time” impacts their return to society. The analyses focus on how men and women experience the world of prison, including the social and physical changes that have occurred during their terms of incarceration, the meanings they assign to these experiences, and their perceptions of the consequences of incarceration on their current situation.

Authors

• Lynne Vieraitis, University of Texas at Dallas

• Rashaan DeShay, University of Texas at Dallas