Abstract
AbstractThis chapter examines material disparities resulting from unequal prison labor sorting. It describes the formal economy—centered on the commissary store and institutional services—and the informal economy—comprised of black-market stores, shadow labor, and its own informal currency—within the prison. Across these internal marketplaces, those atop the status hierarchy of prison jobs are often better positioned to provide for themselves, avoid additional scrutiny from security staff, and potentially prepare for their eventual release. Those in less privileged positions, on the other hand, frequently struggle against additional hardships in the face of cost-shifting and other predatory practices. Labor processes thus impact carceral experiences in several overlapping ways.
Publisher
Oxford University PressNew York
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