Writings of common prisoners: transnational experiences on imprisonment

This dossier, which will consist of articles pertaining to the scope of questions, periods, and themes that involve the History of the Present Time, aims to bring together researchers interested in studying the writings of common prisoners. These writings are often seized by prison institutions and included in records and proceedings. They are documents that provide a very unique view of the prison world. From these sources, this dossier is interested in research focused on the conditions and means used to write in prison, the topics addressed by inmates, narrative constructions, recipients, and subjects discussed. Studies that show how prison institutions have used prison writings throughout history are also of interest, in an attempt to "profile", thus constructing the image of the "delinquent", and how, in many cases, positivist criminology was invoked, highlighting the reverberations of Lombrosian theories in different countries. Other relevant issues from these sources include the transnational debate on prison conditions, the minimum welfare state of prisoners, and even the conditions afforded to marginalized populations before they were apprehended by prison. These issues permeate the writings of prisoners in different countries, helping to put the matter into perspective.

Organizers: Viviane Borges (UDESC)
                      Silvano Montaldo (University of Turin)