An Essay in Conversation: Queer and Queering in the Prison

Abstract

This essay is a conversation between two doctoral students interested in themes of queer and queering in the prison. We cover issues ranging from LGBTQ+  social exclusion to the housing of trans prisoners within the gendered prison service, all while negotiating our different backgrounds and experiences of the topics. The essay delves into the idea of “change” and the complexities of challenging the prison system, whether that is the old Victorian buildings, the institutionalisation of staff members, or existing prisoners. We reflect upon these challenges from our unique individual viewpoints within academia and as a  practitioner psychologist. We introduce proposals for our own individual research projects which both aim to gain a greater understanding of the experiences  of queer prisoners within the prison service, expanding upon the previous work conducted mostly within the USA but also more recently within UK prisons.