Abstract
This chapter considers the potential for transformation in prison. It does this through the lens of citizenship. It identifies two different types of citizenship in prison: ‘soft’ citizenship, where prisoners are encouraged to participate in volunteering and even organize charitable events approved by prison authorities, and ‘hard’ citizenship, where prisoners, as bearers of rights, become advocates and even activists in asserting their political and civil rights. While ‘hard’ citizenship rights are restricted by imprisonment, even where they do exist, prisoners do not always feel confident when attempting to translate these ‘rights on the books’ into ‘rights in action’. The chapter examines if changes are necessary in legislation, political discourse, and penal culture to support a citizenship identity through political and community participation. It concludes by considering if encouraging prisoners to act as advocates for their rights – one component in what is termed as the mosaic of citizenship – can motivate them in the process of transformation.
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