Captive and Captor Representations at Canadian Penal History Museums

Ashley Chen; Sarah Fiander; Justin Piché; Kevin Walby

doi:10.18778/1733-8077.12.4.02

Authors

Ashley Chen University of Ottawa, Canada
Sarah Fiander Carleton University, Canada
Justin Piché University of Ottawa, Canada
Kevin Walby University of Winnipeg, Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.12.4.02

Keywords:

Penal History Museums, Prisoners, Prison Staff, Prisons, Objects, Representations, Canada

Abstract

This article examines representations of prisoners and prison staff from 45 penal tourism sites across Canada. Drawing from literature on representations of criminal justice, we demonstrate that the objects, signs, and symbolism in these heritage sites are curated in ways that can create separation between penal spectators and prisoners. Positive representations of prison staff stand in contrast to depictions of prisoners who are often demonized in museum displays through emphasis placed on narratives, relics, and images of danger and violence. Arguing that these depictions generate conditions for the support and justification of punitive practices including incarceration, we conclude by reflecting on what our findings add to social science literature on representations of captives and captors.

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Author Biographies

Ashley Chen, University of Ottawa, Canada

Ashley Chen is an MA student in Criminology at the University of Ottawa. Her research interests include transnational corporate harms, and discursive constructions of crime and punishment. Ashley’s work on cultural representations of the penal system, as part of Justin Piché and Kevin Walby’s Carceral Cultures Research Initiative, has been published in a number of academic journals. Ashley has also served as an Editorial Assistant for the Journal of Prisoners on Prisons.

Sarah Fiander, Carleton University, Canada

Sarah Fiander is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology at Carleton University conducting research on the experiences of criminalized and incarcerated mothers. Sarah’s work on cultural representations of the penal system, as part of Justin Piché and Kevin Walby’s Carceral Cultures Research Initiative, has been published in a number of academic journals. Sarah has also served as an Editorial Assistant for the Journal of Prisoners on Prisons.

Justin Piché, University of Ottawa, Canada

Justin Piché, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa and Co-Managing Editor of the Journal of Prisoners on Prisons (www.jpp.org). His research examines the reproduction of and resistance to imprisonment as a dominant idea and material practice in Canada.

Kevin Walby, University of Winnipeg, Canada

Kevin Walby is an Associate Professor and Chancellor’s Research Chair, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Winnipeg. He is co-author with R. Lippert of Municipal Corporate Security in International Context (Routledge, 2015). He is Co-Editor of the Journal of Prisoners on Prisons and Book Review Editor for Surveillance & Society.

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