Waiting, Social Control and Punishment

• In Event: New Research on Social Control and Social Organization in Prison

Abstract

Waiting is an individual and collective social process embedded in everyday life. It reveals elements of power, social hierarchy, and governmentality. We draw connections between waiting and punishment to explore the systemic power structures that regulate social interactions based on processes of stratification. The criminal justice system is one institution where waiting is observed both at a structural and individual level. Some waiting is institutionalized, such as waiting in jail for a court date or a sentencing decision, but many types are informal – incarcerated inmates are forced to wait to use the phone, wait to leave their cell, or wait to see a grievance officer. The formal waiting (a sentence) is predicated on deferring a person’s personal freedom, thus it is predicated on an idea of individual liberty and a particular understanding of time. Formal waiting is measured in linear time, as jail and prison sentences are figured in terms of months or years. Here we explore the political economy of waiting through formal and informal processes in the criminal justice systems of Jamaica and the United States. We argue waiting serves as a marker of difference and certain groups are subject to wait for longer periods by the state.

Authors

• Gabreella Friday, Binghamton University

• Joshua Price, Ryerson University

• Nicola Satchell, Binghamton University