Images of Incarceration (PDF)

Images of Incarceration focuses on fictional portrayals of prison and prisoners to demonstrate how they are depicted in the cinema and on TV, featuring films such as The Shawshank Redemption, The Birdman of Alcatraz, Scum, McVicar, Brubaker, Cool Hand Luke, Made in Britain and Greenfingers as well as TV dramas like Porridge, Bad Girls, Buried and Oz. The book is part of the Prison Film Project sponsored by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation under its Rethinking Crime and Punishment initiative. It compares fictional representations with 'actual existing reality' to provide insights into how screen images affect understanding of complex social and penal issues: 'Is prison really as represented on screen, harsher, softer or different?'; 'Do viewers separate fact from fiction?'; and 'What might films tell us about the experiences of prisoners and whether prison reduces crime and protects victims?' As authors David Wilson and Sean O'Sullivan explain, prison may be violent and de-humanising but it makes for gripping drama and human interest. Most people know little about what really happens inside prison, so that as prison numbers in the UK and USA escalate as never before, the 'prison film' and 'TV prison drama' can have a significant influence on popular culture and attitudes towards penal reform. Informative, educational and illuminating, Images of Incarceration will be of value to anyone interested in the effect of screen representations on the democratic process, and in particular to people concerned with criminal justice, penal affairs, penal reform, sociology and the media.