‘A storm is coming:' The New York Times coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in American prisons

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this research, we analyzed the content of 171 articles published between March and August 2020 in the New York Times (NYT) on COVID-19 in American correctional institutions. We observed that the NYT coverage decreased significantly over 6 months. Our analysis uncovered 8 themes within two broader frames: institutional and systemic inequity. Although the themes are not mutually exclusive, we argue that ‘Responding to COVID-19,’ ‘A storm is Coming,' ‘Collective Experience,' and ‘Critiquing Prison Conditions' are within the institutional framing. ‘Redefining Public Safety,' ‘Categorizing Prisoners,' ‘Doing Injustice,' and ‘Making it as a Celebrity' are the themes that highlight systemic inequity, systematic inequalities, and vulnerabilities of incarcerated people, especially minorities. Although this study is not a test of any theory, the themes are viewed via the lenses of conflict theory. Our analysis showed also that American prisons faced two simultaneous crises: mass incarceration and the COVID-19 pandemic, and that mass incarceration is not strictly a criminal justice problem, but also a public health issue. We found that the policies introduced during pandemic in the American correctional institutions were not only inadequate, but also revealed significant systemic inequalities.