NCJ Number
215655
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 45 Issue: 4 Dated: September 2006 Pages: 347-368
Date Published
September 2006
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This article highlights the benefits of the ethnographic approach in relation to the exploration of prison drug dealing.
Abstract
In that our knowledge of the terms and conditions of everyday prison culture remains relatively limited, the value of a flexible, inductive, and open-ended research method is apparent. Ethnographic research methods show more strength in the exploration of prison drug dealing, as opposed to using only institutional or statistical data. Ethnographic research methods can enhance our understanding of prison drug dealing in two ways. First, it is a highly illicit activity whose terms are guarded from most outside parties, such that a lengthy presence in the research site is highly advantageous. Secondly, prison drug dealing occurs within a context of social relationships, institutional practices, and personal narratives which are greatly illuminated by an approach that is broad and exploratory. Prison drug dealing is analyzed as an individually meaningful act that takes place within a broader context of cultural codes, social relations, and institutional policies. Based on fieldwork conducted in a medium-security prison in the United Kingdom, this article highlights the strengths of ethnographic research methods for exploring prison drug dealing. A case study focused on three dealers within one institution with all the limitations inherent in the ethnographic method, showing how this method could enhance our understanding of prison drug dealing. Notes, references