Prisoners of the archives: privacy, identity and the history of incarceration

Abstract

ABSTRACT The archival record of incarceration in the United States presents a substantial challenge for historical research. This becomes particularly acute in those instances where historians seek to use individual patient or prisoner records. Some of these records have been deposited in state archives, but many have not, and the use of specific inmate case files can involve restrictive rules of access. In every instance, complex interplays of power, access and privacy pose challenges for historians who wish to foreground the voices and experiences of the incarcerated, and to better understand the practices and impacts of state power. This paper uses a series of episodes from the author’s own work to highlight these issues.