Piercing the Veil,Resisting Erasure: Identity,Prison Visitation,and the Carceral Self

Abstract

Prison visitation has been studied as a mechanism to strengthen incarcerated people's social ties to the outside world, decrease disciplinary infractions inside prison, and reduce recidivism upon release from confinement. At the same time, family members who enter prisons for visits experience dehumanization, bureaucratic hurdles, and an emotional toll adversely affecting their well-being. Important questions therefore remain about how incarcerated people and their family members navigate the dualities of visiting in an oppressive setting—prison. Analyzing in-depth interviews with men incarcerated in the Northeastern United States, we contextualize visits within Du Boisian concepts such as double consciousness, the veil, and second sight. Our analysis reveals that familial interactions provide respite and reprieve from the daily harshness of prison, fostering a sense of belonging and visibility in the family and connections to society at large. However, some incarcerated men must navigate the veil by detaching themselves from outside connections. Building on the Du Boisian tradition, this study underscores the complexities of and potentially deeply human dimensions of prison visits, offering nuanced and critical insights on the interplay between visibility, perception, emotional toll, and identity.