Registration is now open for a two-day conference “Rethinking Prisons Research” at the University of Leicester, UK, focusing on the emerging theoretical, conceptual and empirical themes in prisons research, and possible future directions.

Carceral geographers are warmly invited to attend and to submit abstracts and/or methodological vignettes (see below).

Plenary speakers include:

• Dr Jamie Bennett (HMPPS)
• Dr Ben Crewe (University of Cambridge)
• Dr Dominique Moran (University of Birmingham)
• Dr Ruth Mann (HMPPS)

The conference is free for participants. Register here.

Call for Papers (and vignettes)

Abstracts are invited for papers addressing the broad theme of ‘rethinking prisons research.’ Whilst papers that address methodological concerns are welcome, the intention is that papers should generally speak to theoretical and conceptual themes and debates.

Abstracts from early career researchers and postgraduate researchers are particularly welcome.

Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words and should be emailed to: Dr Kate Gooch (kate.gooch@le.ac.uk) by the deadline for submission which is 19th May 2017

Dominique Moran’s plenary session at the “Rethinking Prisons Research” conference will be sponsored by the Carceral Geography Working Group of the RGS-IBG, and will address the methodological intersections between (carceral) geography and criminology. In other words, it will explore the ways in which geographers approach carcerality methodologically, and the challenges and benefits of deploying methods such as mapping and walked interviews in the carceral setting.

Separate from the general CFP for the conference, there is an invitation for methodological vignettes, 3-5 minute ‘snapshot’ presentations by carceral geographers or other researchers using spatial methods (broadly conceived), to be presented as part of this plenary session. These could be reflections on completed fieldwork, fieldwork in progress, or planned fieldwork. Contributing a vignette does not preclude presenters from submitting a full abstract for the conference itself, and if a full paper is also presented, there can be overlap between this and the vignette. To discuss, and/or to suggest a vignette, please email Dominique at d.moran@bham.ac.uk by 19 May 2017.