The Lived Experiences of Claiming Wrongful Conviction in Prison focuses on the lived experience of maintaining innocence in the prison environment and highlights the struggles and pain that such a claim can cause.
Using the little utilised means of conducting an interview via a series of letters, the book details the experiences of 64 prisoners maintaining innocence in England and Wales, and examines in depth what is unique to this population. The chapters cover coping mechanisms, relationships maintained with relatives, relationships formed with prisoners and staff, and the perceived effect of their claims on matters of progression and parole. It draws on material from criminology, sociology, law, and psychology to provide a holistic account of this population’s experiences.
The Lived Experiences of Claiming Wrongful Conviction in Prison will be of great interest to students and scholars across the disciplines of criminology, criminal justice, law, sociology, and psychology.
1 Introduction 2 Wrongful Conviction: The Context 3 The Sociology of Prison Life: A Theoretical Framework 4 When Access Is Denied: Conducting an Interview through Letter Writing 5 Injustice, Hope, Resistance: Coping with ‘Wrongful’ Imprisonment 6 Beyond the Walls: Maintaining Relationships with Family and Friends 7 On the Wings: Maintaining Innocence and Its Effects on Building Relationships with Prisoners and Staff 8 Pressure, Risk, and Progression: Perceived Institutional Consequences of Maintaining Innocence 9 Conclusion
Emma Burtt is a Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, UK. She completed her DPhil at the University of Oxford Centre for Criminology in 2019.
