Institute of Criminology Public Seminars: 'The stains of imprisonment: Imprisonment for men convicted of sex offences'

Speaker: Dr Alice Ievins

This seminar will present the findings of Alice’s PhD, an ethnographic study of a medium-security English prison for men convicted of sex offences. Sex offenders constitute a significant and growing proportion of the prison population - almost one in five sentenced adult men have been convicted of sex offences - but they have been consistently overlooked by prison researchers.

Alice’s work redresses this imbalance, and this seminar will focus in particular on how prisoners adapt to their sentence, form relationships with their peers, and their perceptions of the prison’s legitimacy. Taken together, this suggests that we should move on from understanding the prison as a disciplinary institution structured solely by power, and take its moral functions and effects more seriously. For sex offenders, it is argued by Alice, the prison is a condemnatory institution: entrance into it is determined on the basis of being convicted of committing a wrong, and experiences within the prison further communicate that you are a wrongdoer. 

This seminar starts at 5.30pm, and will be held in Seminar Room B3, Institute of Criminology, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 9DA. A drinks reception in the basement foyer will follow this seminar for attendees.

The IoC Public Seminar Series is open to all interested in attending, with no ticket required. If you wish to be added to the seminar mailing list, please contact: enquiries@cim.cam.ac.uk