Indigenous Voices Behind Bars: Discussing prison reform and abolition in Canada using Indigenous prison poetry

Indigenous (over)incarceration in Canada has been an issue raised by scholars, activists, and policymakers alike. Despite the many ideas that have been put forward to remedy the issue, either through solutions focusing on prison reform or abolition, Indigenous (over)incarceration persists. This research focuses on the creative contributions of Indigenous prisoners, specifically poetry, and investigates in what ways Indigenous prison poetry contributes to the discourse on Indigenous prison reform and abolition. It involves a qualitative poetry analysis which focuses on the formal aspects of poetry. Using affect theory and Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit) as an interpretive lens, findings suggests that the poetry adds to the discourse in three main ways. The poetry allows for readers to engage with the topic of Indigenous (over)incarceration in a manner that is beyond the rationale, and it allows the liminal space of Indigenous (incarcerated) individuals to be at the center of...Show moreIndigenous (over)incarceration in Canada has been an issue raised by scholars, activists, and policymakers alike. Despite the many ideas that have been put forward to remedy the issue, either through solutions focusing on prison reform or abolition, Indigenous (over)incarceration persists. This research focuses on the creative contributions of Indigenous prisoners, specifically poetry, and investigates in what ways Indigenous prison poetry contributes to the discourse on Indigenous prison reform and abolition. It involves a qualitative poetry analysis which focuses on the formal aspects of poetry. Using affect theory and Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit) as an interpretive lens, findings suggests that the poetry adds to the discourse in three main ways. The poetry allows for readers to engage with the topic of Indigenous (over)incarceration in a manner that is beyond the rationale, and it allows the liminal space of Indigenous (incarcerated) individuals to be at the center of the debate. Last, poetry lends itself particularly well as carrier of stories, which, according to Indigenous ways of knowledge, serve as theory. These stories can thus be used to further theorize ideas on prison reform and abolition.Show less

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Indigenous Voices Behind Bars: Discussing prison reform and abolition in Canada using Indigenous prison poetry