Abstract
We draw from literature on penal imaginaries to examine representations at fright nights and other staged cultural scenes from across Canada and the United States that reproduce justifications for imprisonment and punishment. Based on an analysis of online content and news coverage of fright nights organized at forts, sanitoria, psychiatric institutions/asylums, and segregated schools, we demonstrate that these displays mobilize stereotypes and shame to denigrate prisoners and naturalize imprisonment. Moreover, we show that these displays invoke health tropes concerning contagion to intensify fears regarding prisoners by portraying them as a threat to the social body, further rationalizing the existence of human caging as a means of addressing social unease and anxieties. Relying on ideas of risk and contamination, this penal imaginary reproduces punitive ideas that normalize the deprivation of liberty including in (COVID-19) pandemic times. We conclude by discussing the significance of our findings for the study of penal imaginaries and penal spectatorship.
Highlights
There is something about imprisonment that people find alluring the world over (Welch, 2015)
Based on an analysis of online content and news coverage of fright nights organized at forts, sanitoria, psychiatric institutions/asylums, and segregated schools, we demonstrate that these displays mobilize stereotypes and shame to denigrate prisoners and naturalize imprisonment
We define fright nights as seasonal horror themed events staged at night, while a jail and bail is an event where volunteers are “jailed” and supporters make donations for their “bail.” Such events continue and take on new meaning during the COVID-19 pandemic era, with continued alarm over containing “risk,” which we address in the conclusion of the paper
Summary
There is something about imprisonment that people find alluring the world over (Welch, 2015) This curiosity pertains to tours of decommissioned prisons and jails, as well as their representations on screen and other cultural sites (Brown, 2009). Infatuation with penality extends to fright nights held at forts, jail and bail fundraisers held by nonprofit organizations, and other kinds of Halloween seasonal events meant to entertain and enthral. While there is a developed literature on penal tourism sites such as those situated in decommissioned prisons and jails across the world (Wilson et al, 2017; Huang & Lee, 2020), less research has been conducted on amateur forms of penal heritage that are staged for entertainment and charitable fundraising
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
