Prison food and the carceral experience: a systematic review
International Journal of Prison Health
ISSN: 2977-0254
Article publication date: 15 December 2023
Issue publication date: 6 February 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to focus on studies that qualitatively explore prison food experience. The goal is to elaborate a framework to better understand how prison food shapes the worldwide carceral experience.
Design/methodology/approach
This systematic literature review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. It consists of four phases: identifying the studies, screening the studies, evaluating the eligibility of screened studies and inclusion of studies. After the four phases, ten studies (nine qualitative studies and one with mixed methods) were included in the review.
Findings
There is a consensus among the researchers in the reviewed literature that prison food shapes the carceral experience. More specifically, four themes that encompass the experience of people with prison food emerged from the reviewed literature: food appreciation (taste of the prison food and perceived nutritional value), food logistics (preparation, distribution and consumption), food variety (institutional menu and commissary store) and food relationships (symbol of caring or power or punishment).
Originality/value
The literature reviewed demonstrated that when incarcerated individuals have a negative view of prison food, the carceral experience is negatively impacted. This systematic review identified four dimensions that encompass the food experience within the prison environment, providing a framework for navigating this subject.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors declare that this research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors conducted this study independently and did not receive financial support for the design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or writing of the manuscript
Citation
Johnson, C., Gagnon, S., Goguen, P. and LeBlanc, C.P. (2024), "Prison food and the carceral experience: a systematic review", International Journal of Prison Health, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 47-59. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPH-08-2023-0045
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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