Perception of Prison Time Via Prisoners' Eyes

• In Event: Posters II

Abstract

Time is a resource that appears neutral, yet takes on different values according to which class of people utilize it. Prisoners “do time” and “serve time” as punishment, but what is their perception of the passage of time? Time is a commodity to be valued or devalued in the free world, but prison “time” is a different concept altogether and therefore should be considered as a separate construct. Constrained by administrative forces and policies, time inside prison walls takes on complexities not found in the free world. For the purposes of this study, ten former inmates from a large southeastern prison were interviewed regarding their perceptions of time during their sentences. Race, length of sentence, time served, marital status, and other variables were examined in relation to the perception of time while incarcerated. The value of this study lies in its ability to categorize the concept of time as fundamentally different inside prison walls and to lend richness to the literature documenting the experiences of incarcerated individuals.

Author

• Mallory LaPorte, University of Louisiana at Lafayette