Abstract
Mary Douglas argues that, ‘There are some things we cannot experience without ritual.’
Ex-prisoner reintegration may be one of them. The punishment process involves an
inordinate amount of ritual behavior, from the drama of the courtroom to the elaborate
de-individuation processes involved in institutionalization. Durkheim argues that these
rituals served a distinct purpose for society: engendering social solidarity and shaping
penal sensibilities. Like the commission of a crime, the reintegration of the former
outcast back into society represents a challenge to the moral order, a delicate transition
fraught with danger and possibility. However, unlike punishment, reintegration is not a
process characterized by well-orchestrated and familiar rituals. This lack might explain
the failings of prisoner reentry in contemporary society. This article reviews the sociological
and anthropological literature on rituals, explaining what they are and what they
do, focusing in particular on the role of status degradation ceremonies in criminal justice
work. Drawing on this literature, the core elements that would be needed to develop
rituals of reintegration powerful enough to counteract these degradation effects are
discussed, and the potential impact of such hypothetical rituals is explored.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3-28 |
Number of pages | 26 |
Journal | PUNISHMENT & SOCIETY-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PENOLOGY |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2011 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Law
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Shadd Maruna (Participant)
Impact: Societial Impact