Neoliberalism, Prison and Racism: Revisiting Loïc Wacquant's 'The Peculiar Institution'

• In Event: Critical Issues in Policy and Governance

Abstract

We, in this paper, revisit Loïc Wacquant’s conceptualization of the prison as a “peculiar institution” within neoliberal governance, engaging critically with the contemporary perspectives of Ruth Wilson Gilmore (2007) and Michelle Alexander (2007). Our objective is to interrogate the intersections of neoliberalism, mass incarceration, and structural racism, exploring their implications for the new sociology and political economy of punishments. We ask: How do carceral systems reproduce racial and economic inequalities in neoliberal states? How do spatial, systemic, and racialized logics intersect in the penal landscape? Using a qualitative methodology, we critically analyze Wacquant’s framework alongside Gilmore’s spatial-political economy of surplus and Alexander’s critique of racial caste systems. We argue that while Wacquant’s thesis on neoliberal punitive governance is foundational, integrating Gilmore’s and Alexander’s insights reveals the multidimensional nature of carceral power through the spatial, racial, and economic dynamics of contemporary penal systems. Our contribution lies in advancing a holistic understanding of neoliberal penality, bridging disciplinary gaps between sociology, critical race theory, and political economy from a new angle and enriching the lens of the sociology of punishment. We call for abolitionist and decolonial approaches to dismantle the entangled structures of racism and capitalism and how to move beyond contemporary carceral state.

Authors

• Mohammed Jahirul Islam, Carleton University, Canada

• Onwubiko Agozino, Virginia Tech University

• Nikhil Chandra Nath, University of New Haven

• Md. Lab Hossain, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Santosh, Tangail, Bangladesh