Images of Incarceration: Minority Inmate Tropes in Classic Prison Movies.

• In Event: The Prison in TV and Film

Abstract

For most in American society, prison movies provide their only exposure to prison life and culture. These movies may portray the prison as a comedic place (Stir Crazy), or a place of unspeakable suffering and inhumanity (Brubaker). The reality of prison life is unlike either of those portrayals, and much of what is presented in prison movies represents a caricature of prison realities. This distortion exists in both the representation of the environment, and the depictions of the inmates themselves. Prison movies often portray inmates using traditional tropes, a stereotype and exaggeration which is especially true for minority inmates.
This research examines minority portrayals in prison movies from the 1930’s to the 2000’s, and compares these images with the traditional tropes used to describe minorities in movies and other media.

Authors

• Angela C. Leone, Northwestern University

• Matthew Leone, University of Nevada