‘Mind your language’: What people in prison think about the language used to describe them

Abstract

This study investigated how people in prison feel about the language used to describe them and how it affected them. Previous research shows that terminology used to describe people in prison affects their self-identity, namely through its shame-inducing effects. A thematic analysis of qualitative data gathered through interviews demonstrated that language impacts how an individual in prison engages with the community and how they view themselves. Positive and progressive language in prisons has the potential to remove the shame and stigma attached to the prisoner identity.