Conceptual issues and theoretical considerations regarding the study of prison labour

Abstract

The present paper attempts to explore the conceptual challenges in the research of prison labour and to sketch the contours of a proposed theoretical framework, which can highlight the connection between penal policy tendencies, labour market dynamics and organizational practices of prison labour regimes. Based on a literature review, it is argued, that besides market dynamics on which many of the existing prison labour narratives are focused, the state is also a key agent in generating, maintaining, or relieving the potential tensions between the two main objectives of prison labour: rehabilitative purposes on the one hand and economic efficiency on the other. It is assumed that through the conceptualization of prison labour as one of the most radical manifestation of state-imposed unfree labour, it is possible to shed new light on state-labour relations. By doing so, the research on prison labour could be enriched with some new aspects.