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In the last 20 years, there has been an exponential increase in research about food in prison. Given this growing interest, it is appropriate to take stock of the field by mapping and synthesizing existing knowledge in order to identify gaps in knowledge and make recommendations for future research. Specifically, the purpose of this scoping review is to understand the experiences of incarcerated people with food in order to inform interventions that will promote positive outcomes for justice-involved individuals and correctional facilities. This review identified 38 peer-reviewed research articles about food in correctional facilities. This sample included qualitative (n = 28) and quantitative (n = 10) research that explored the both the pragmatic and symbolic dimensions of food in these settings. Taken together, this body of research provides a rich description of prison food practices and the implications of these practices on medical, psychological, and sociological outcomes. Moving forward, collaboration between academics, incarcerated people, and correctional practitioners is encouraged in order to develop programs that use this research to improve individual and intuitional outcomes. In addition, while emerging research has begun to develop knowledge about prison food in developing countries, the literature focuses primarily on the US, Canada and Western Europe and there is a need to expand the geographic scope of this inquiry.
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Knowledge about women's socio-emotional experience of incarceration is sparse. To address this gap in the research, open-ended interviews were conducted with 9 incarcerated women in Denmark. The inquiry focused on their experiences with prison food and eating, including questions about hygge-related practices. Hygge is a cherished part of Danish culture that encourages people to create cozy environments by sharing food and fellowship. While this warm and comforting practice may seem incongruent with prison, contemporary theory about carceral geography suggests a wide range of emotional spaces within prisons and identifies the central role of incarcerated people and external norms on constructing these spaces. The participants’ narratives describe and explain the role of hygge in Danish prisons. Participants report using food and other props to construct hygge in their cells, in common areas, and with visitors, in order to build safety and manage the harshness of prison life. While these experiences are fleeting, findings suggest that the ability of these women to engage in hygge practices has a deeply positive impact on their lived experience of incarceration. The findings expand understanding about the role of food in prison and inform the practices of correctional facilities.
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This qualitative analysis explores older adults’ lived experiences of incarceration. As part of a larger mixed-methods longitudinal study, 23 older adults were interviewed about their prison and reentry experiences. Findings describe experiences of loss, lack of medical attention, abuse by staff and other inmates, and the uncertainties and danger of prison life. After release, participants reported experiencing anxiety and stress related to their prison experiences. While participants reported that the ability to manage prison life deteriorated with age, some benefits of their senior status were also described. Maturity may allow older prisoners to remove themselves from volatile situations. Participants described experiences of rest and recovery, reflecting coping mechanism and resilience that could improve psychosocial outcomes during and after prison. This descriptive analysis centers the voices of older prisoners and informs interventions to support this vulnerable community.