Tertiary Prisonization: Experiencing the Prison Subculture via Romantic Association

• In Event: Insights from Justice-Involved and Unhoused Individuals

Abstract

In this presentation, I develop the concept of “tertiary prisonization” to describe the challenges and stigmas faced by new romantic partners of returning citizens. As building blocks, I use Clemmer’s (1958) concept of “prisonization” experienced by former long-term inmates, and Comfort’s (2008) concept of “secondary prisonization” experienced by people in long-term relationships with long-term inmates. Based on in-depth interviews (N=80) and 4+ years of fieldwork, I argue that as far removed from incarceration as they may appear, new romantic partners of returning citizens experience “tertiary prisonization” because of their interactions with the criminal justice system, both directly (e.g., through direct contact with their partner’s probation officer/surveillance of their living quarters), and indirectly, via their partner’s past and ongoing involvement with the system. The project demonstrates how important support systems are for both returning citizens, and their greater social networks.

Author

• Daisy Ball, Roanoke College