No longer free to be Deaf: Cultural, medical and social understandings of d/Deafness in prison

Abstract

Culturally and linguistically Deaf people experience disproportionate suffering and deprivation in prison settings globally (Zidenberg 2021). This article uses the medical and social models of disability to highlight some of the underlying reasons for this. Deaf people view their Deafness through a cultural lens and usually disassociate from views which align with these models (Lane 1995). However, they are prominent across society and in relevant equality legislation, and thus impact the Deaf Community significantly (Obasi 2008). This article explores how the nature of the prison environment – a hostile, disempowering place, designed for similarity, changes and heightens the impact of perspectives which align with the medical and social models. Throughout, findings are presented from qualitative research involving interviews with Deaf prisoners and hearing staff members in England, showing that there is little room for a cultural model of Deafness in prison, and in consequence, prison becomes medically deafening for Deaf prisoners.