Digital Panopticism: Body worn cameras and the expansion of surveillance in corrections

• In Event: Carceral Surveillance and Population Monitoring: Tools, Tensions, and Impacts

Abstract

Body worn cameras (BWCs) have been researched extensively within the policing context, though little is known about their effectiveness and impact in prisons. Until recently, CCTV cameras served as the primary technological surveillance tool implemented in prisons. However, the emergence of BWCs brings about an expansion of surveillance power, which has the ability to influence staff discretion, accountability, and their overall power within the institution. Drawing on Foucault’s concept of the Panopticon, this paper explores BWCs as modern tools of disciplinary power that extend surveillance over both residents and staff. Two main research questions guide this paper: 1) how do corrections staff perceive the utility of BWCs? and 2) how do BWCs affect staff and resident behavior, discretion, and interactions. This study draws from 24 interviews with former correctional officers from a midwestern state. The findings illustrate how BWCs have changed and influenced prison operations, staff experiences, and organizational behavior. Furthermore, this project aims to provide insight into the consequences of enhanced surveillance in carceral settings and its broader implications for institutional control.

Author

• Konstadina Spanoudakis, University of Missouri-St. Louis