The Sociology of Prison Space: A Theoretical and Methodological Framework for Carceral Studies

The Sociology of Prison Space: A Theoretical and Methodological Framework for Carceral Studies | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Systematic Review The Sociology of Prison Space: A Theoretical and Methodological Framework for Carceral Studies Ahmadin Ahmadin This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7384745/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Sociologically, prison is a social space whose existence is functionally not only limited to the institution of punishment, but constructs the dynamics of power, social relations, and identity in society. This paper examines prisons in a sociological study of space with a unit of analysis of the prison space structure that forms patterns of interaction, herarchy, and the process of adaptation between prisoners and prison officers. This type of research is a literature review of a number of relevant literature both books, articles, and other types of scientific works with a descriptive analysis model. The social theory used is the concept of Panopticon developed by Michael Foucault about the structure of surveillance and the concept of Total institution from Erving Goffman. There are three important things discussed in this article, namely why prison as an isolation space is important to be discussed sociologically, what is the scope of the study of prison sociology, and what is the contribution of its study to social science studies. Sociology Criminology Social Policy sociology prison space social institution Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 INTRODUCTION One clear evidence of the rapid development of sociological studies (George & Bennett, 2005 ) in recent years is the emergence of a new paradigm that time is not the only key element of social change, as assumed in classical theories, but that the nature of space is also an important determinant (Thrift & Williams, 2014 ). Based on the fundamental assumption that space is not passive but rather dynamic in line with social change in society (Sanford, 2017 ), studies on space in sociology have also become increasingly prevalent (Tickamyer, 2000 ). Some of these include studies on urban public space, residential space, symbolic space, and other social spaces, as well as virtual space (Badel & Baeza, 2021 ). The significance of space is also increasingly showing its dynamic nature as its functions change and even the types of space become more varied. One type of social space worth examining is the prison (Granja, 2019 ), which, from a sociological perspective, is not merely an institution for isolating individuals who have committed crimes. Furthermore, prisons can be seen as a design for power relations, norms, and social stratification (Sloop, 2006 ). Prisons can also be imagined as a microcosm of society that reflects various forms of inequality, control, and resistance (Arford et al., 2016 ). This can be a source of inspiration to change the atmosphere of prisons through architectural design, regulations, and models of social interaction in prisons, thereby creating practices and experiences of space for their inhabitants. Various ironic conditions and forms of social inequality within prison walls continue to be a subject of critical discourse, particularly the emergence of a new awareness that prisons should ideally not only serve as passive rehabilitation centers. Instead, prisons are envisioned as spaces for training life skills (Kupers & Ojeda, 2008 ), such as discipline, community, supervision (Kupers & Ojeda, 2008 ), and normalization (De Vos, 2023 ). A positive practice in such conditions is that inmates can train themselves to adapt to the prison environment, inmate culture, and informal networks within a harsh environment, thereby developing a resilient mindset. Prison sociology analysis focuses on understanding the physical and social structures of prisons, which significantly influence interpersonal relationships (Pabjan, 2005 ), the formation of hierarchies (Michalski, 2017 ), and post-release reintegration (Brand, 2016 ). For this purpose, this article presents several relevant concepts and theories about prison sociology, providing readers with an understanding of the contribution of prison sociology to the function of prisons as arenas of power struggles and social identity. Furthermore, it contributes to the discussion on the importance of reforming the function of prisons and making them more humane, just, and educational. METHOD This study uses a literature review method (Roberts et al., 2017), which involves searching for sources of literature on the sociology of prisons through books, articles in scientific journals, popular scientific articles, news in the mass media, government documents, field research reports, current prison policies, and other types of sources. A systematic literature review was conducted using a meta-synthesis approach, focusing on the integration of concepts or theories of prison sociology from at least the past 10-20 years of literature. The literature search technique was conducted on academic databases, such as Google Scholar, Science Direct, ResearchGate, JSTOR, Scopus, Web of Sciences, DOAJ, and other sources (A. Ahmadin et al., 2025). The keywords used for the literature search were prison sociology, prison space, prisoners, prison policy, and rehabilitation. All data and literature collected were then selected based on several criteria, such as: their level of suitability with the concept of spatial sociology, the relevance of theoretical perspectives, and the balance between classical and contemporary literature. Data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis to identify conceptual compatibility between available literature and the required information or data (Ward et al., 2009). In addition, discourse analysis was performed on a number of texts regarding current prison policies, tracing the genealogy of knowledge to obtain information (Wang et al., 2024) about the development of concepts related to prison space, and conducting comparative analysis, particularly regarding different prison systems or conditions in various locations. Data verification techniques were carried out through source triangulation (Santos et al., 2020), namely between academic databases, official government reports, and testimonies from certain parties who understand prison conditions; cross-checking references between texts (Cao et al., 2018); and discussing with experts or specialists in the sociology of space or prison sociology. Data analysis was conducted by comparing social theory with empirical manifestations, official discourse with daily practices, and architectural design with actual space usage. RESULT AND DISCUSSION Bibliometric Mapping of Prison Studies To gain an understanding of the importance of sociological studies of space in relation to the existence of prison institutions, it is first necessary to conduct a bibliometric mapping of trends in this field of study. The aim is to identify gaps between the importance of the study and the reality reflected in the number of related publications. This mapping uses the Scopus database with three keywords: “Sociology,” “Space,” and “Prison.” Several categories of data search results for research and writings on prisons include: documents by type, documents by country or region, documents by subject area, and documents by year of publication. Each of these mapping results can be detailed as follows: Based on the results of a search of the Scopus database from 1979 to 2025, it can be seen that the number of documents by type is as follows: Articles, 22 documents (50.0%), Books, 9 documents (20.5%), Book chapters, 8 documents (18.2%), Editorials, 2 documents (4.5%), Reviews, 2 documents (4.5%), and Notes, 1 document (2.3%). For further details, please refer to the following figure. The information in the figure shows that studies on prisons as spaces are still limited, with only 22 documents in the form of scientific journal articles. Similarly, there are only nine documents in the form of books and eight documents in the form of book chapters. The limited number of studies on prisons as social spaces highlights the importance of discussing prisons in the study of spatial sociology. The results of searching data on documents by subject area show that: Social Sciences 36 documents (54.5%), Arts and Humanities 11 documents (16.7%), Medicine 4 (6.1%), Psychology 3 documents (4.5%), Earth and Planetary Sciences 2 documents (3.0%), Engineering 2 documents (3.0%), Nursing 2 documents (3.3%), Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular Biology 1 document (1.5%), Business, Management, and Accounting 1 document (1.5%), Economics, Econometrics, and Finance 1 document (1.5%), and others 3 documents (4.5%). For more details, please refer to the following figure. Reading several documents, particularly those in the social subject area category, it was found that of the 44 titles (54.5%), each discussed topics such as: experiences in prison, learning from prison (tutoring cases), prison as isolation in relation to daily life, prison as a criminology laboratory, conditions within prison, working in prison and the perception of time by inmates, coping with prison life through an analysis of inmates contemplating suicide, and other aspects of life in prison. Other documents examine prison geography, focusing on space and detention practices; detention spaces, analyzing mobility and autonomy in special detention cases involving migrants; space and place, discussing healthcare services in women's prisons; and spending time in prison, its relationship with space, time, and prison geography. From these research findings, it is evident that studies on prisons from a sociological perspective on space remain limited. While some address space, they do so from a geographical or other disciplinary perspective. This suggests that a sociological approach to space should be given proper consideration in studies on prisons. The results of document searches by country or region show that: United States 16 documents, United Kingdom 10 documents, Australia 3 documents, Canada 3 documents, France 3 documents, Switzerland 2 documents, Argentina 1 document, Chile 1 document, and Finland 1 document. For more details, see the following figure. Based on the results of document searches by country or territory, it appears that of the top 10 countries, namely the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Switzerland, Argentina, Chile, Finland, and Italy, not a single Asian country, including Indonesia, is included. This means that studies of prison institutions from a spatial sociology perspective have not yet become a serious concern among researchers in Southeast Asia. This is where there is an important space to place sociological studies of space to analyze social life within prisons, as well as to identify solutions for various issues and disparities related to their existence. Based on the results of document searches through the Scopus database, it can be explained that from 1979 to 2025, there were only 43 documents discussing the topics of sociology, space, and prisons. The breakdown is as follows: 1 document (2025), 4 documents (2024), 1 document (2023), 1 document (2022), 2 documents (2021), 1 document (2020), 4 documents (2019), 3 documents (2018), 3 documents (2017), 3 documents (2016), 4 documents (2015), 1 document (2014), 3 documents (2013), 2 documents (2012), 0 documents (2009–2011), 1 document (2008), 2 documents (2007), and 1 document (1979). For further illustration, the data can be viewed in the following figure. Studies on prisons as social spaces based on this data are still very limited, with only one document published between 1979 and 2006 and two documents published in 2007. Similarly, between 2009 and 2011, there were no publications on this topic in the Scopus database. In its development up to 2025, the number of documents on this topic according to the Scopus database also shows a very minimal number, ranging from 1 to 4 per year. Given the extremely low number of documents, it is clear that the contribution of the sociology of space approach to studies on prison institutions has not yet yielded encouraging results. This is an important note that studies on the sociology of space still require serious attention and should be given a proper place in prison studies. Prison Space in Theoretical Narratives The sociology of prison space in its study can use a variety of perspectives or theoretical approaches. One interesting theoretical approach used is the concept of total institution developed by Michael Foucault with the unit of analysis of discipline and power (Kallman & Dini, 2017). In his popular work entitled “Discipline and Punish”, Foucault imagines prison space as a total institution that can functionally serve as a place to discipline the body through surveillance mechanisms, time division, and nomalization of inmate behavior (Foucault, 2023). Furthermore, the prison is depicted as an institution that does not merely function to punish, but also to train the inmates' obedience through control (Foucoult, 1975). In the concept of governance, the state can utilize the regulatory function to regulate the population in the punishment system. Another relevant theory is “Dramaturgy and Identity” introduced by Erving Goffman in the work ‘Asylums’ (O’Boyle, 2022), where prisons are imagined as spaces that separate individuals from the wider community and then construct new identities through the stages of the “self-mortification” process (C. Smith, 2009). The inmates are described as carrying out a series of self-expression processes in order to be able to exist among the harsh social hierarchy of the prison. The existence of prison space is also interestingly connected to Anthony Giddens' (1984) theory of structuration and social space, which describes prison space as not only formed through physical rules but also through the agency of its inhabitants (Giddens, 1985). Prisoners are also envisioned as individuals who are not passive, but actively negotiate norms, construct subcultures, and resist prison authority. Life in prison is also interesting to examine using Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, social capital, and symbolic violence (Schlosser, 2013). Through the concept of habitus, we will be helped in compiling the mental schemes of prisoners who are constructed through life experiences while being prisoners in prison. The concept of social capital is used to analyze the network of power relations between prisoners in prison (Lafferty et al., 2016), which is often referred to as a hidden structure (Yagunov, 2024) in the ecosystem of correctional institutions. It should be noted that in the prison space there is an informal hierarchy among prisoners (Yagunov, 2024), so it seems that the prison creates a kind of power pyramid that is complex in nature (Munn & Bruckert, 2010). Hierarchy in the prison space (Michalski, 2017), such as the so-called “Elit Lapas” (Correctional Institution Elites) are thugs and bosses who have the power to control the distribution of prohibited goods into the prison, such as drugs and cell phones (Arford et al., 2016). The prison elite have privileged access to officials and often collect taxes from prisoners (R. Smith et al., 2007). At another level of the hierarchy, there are low-level workers or coolies (assistants) who work to clean cells and prepare food who are often exploited, and there are also those in the lowest caste who are often the object of violence. The prison space is also a place for transactions of goods and services with a barter system or “informal currency” (Burgason, 2017), such as cigarettes as the most popular main currency, cell phone rental, drug trafficking with a deposit system (Ochola, 2015), and there are also protection services through jockeys for new prisoners (Harvey, 2012), bribing officers in special visits (Van Der Laan, 2012), and others. As for the relationship with symbolic violence according to Bourdieu, it is in the form of legitimizing the power of officers (Garcia-Villegas, 2003) through their uniforms and job procedures. Similarly, symbolic violence is in the form of language as a tool of power, such as in the label of prisoner or bandit (Fleisher, 2017). Analysis using Bourdieu's concept allows a recommendation in the form of reproduction of inequality in prison space, discrimination based on capital, and the irony of prison which in many practices actually strengthens the criminal habitus. Furthermore, the theory of sociology of space developed by Henri Lefebvre in the book “The Production of Space” (1974) and Edward Soja through an article entitled “Thirdspace” (1996) (A. Ahmadin, 2024), is also interesting as an analytical knife in studying prison space in a sociological paradigm. The basic assumption that can be developed is that prison as a social space is not limited to its function as a physical place, but is a space that has and is given political meaning, conflict, and resistance (Pile, 2013). The theoretical implications of the theoretical review can help develop a framework for analyzing the existence of prison space as a tool of social control in Foucault's view (Šupa, 2015), a space for identity formation according to Goffman and Giddens (Liu, 2024), a reflection of structural inequality in Bourdieu's perspective (Farrugia, 2013), and an arena for negotiating power as in the writings of Lefebvre and Soja (Leander & Sheehy, 2004). Sociological Research Approach to Prison Space The sociological study of prison space can be conducted through various methodological approaches to reveal the complex social relations, power and meaning behind the prison institution. First , the ethnographic approach allows researchers to deeply understand the reality of the locus through participatory or non-participatory observation (Ralph, 2016) in the prison space. Data collection techniques can be done through observation of forms of interaction between prisoners, prison officers, and other parties. The aim is to understand prisoner culture, hierarchy, and adaptation models. A classic study written by Gresham Sykes entitled “The Society of Captives”, illustrates how life in prison is full of social dynamics (Sykes, 2007). The ethnographic study approach has the advantage of the amount of data that can be obtained as well as direct life experience as a result of observation. However, it also has disadvantages in the form of limited access, especially to the bureaucracy, security, and other risks as a participant. Second , the discourse and policy analysis approach is a study conducted using official government documentation data (Hewitt, 2009), such as: laws, prison regulations, official reports, media reports, and others. This approach can be carried out using a combination of historical methods in the form of synchronic and diachronic studies (M. Ahmadin, 2022) of state policies towards prison institutions from time to time and what aspects underlie them. An example is Foucault's study of the major change in the discourse on punishment for prisoners from a form of bodily torture to a model of mental discipline (Aggarwal, 2013). The advantage of this research method is that it allows a series of criticisms of a power and ideology adopted in organizing the prison system. The weakness is that the study approach, which relies on documents, does not directly touch the reality of the locus in the prison space. Third , the study of prison sociology can also be approached by using in-depth interview data with prisoners, officers, families, and activists. The advantage of this method is that researchers will get in-depth narratives about the personal experiences of prisoners, the views of prisoners and families about justice in prison, and understand the psychosocial impact of prison. An interesting example is the research on women in prison written by Bucerius and Sandberg entitled "Women in prisons: Crime and justice” (Tonry & Bucerius, 2023). This method has the advantage of representing the aspirations of actors, but the disadvantage is limited access to interviews with these parties. Fourth , sociological studies of prison space can use a visual and spatial approach (Kovalerchuk et al., 2004), namely analyzing prison space through visual appearances in the form of architecture, cells, surveillance areas, and other spatial elements through photographs or maps (Reithmaier, 2005). Through this visual and spatial study, researchers can connect the physical design of prisons with social control, as well as prison spatial conditions can be used as material to analyze the effectiveness of its function and sustainability. The advantage of this method of study is that the researcher obtains data on how power is manifested in the meterial space. The disadvantage is that it requires time and access to review the location directly and requires design data. Based on the description of several alternative research methods and approaches, it can be said that each has advantages and disadvantages. One important thing that should not be overlooked is that the triangulation method is indispensable in this type of research, namely in order to cover the macro aspect in the form of prison policies as well as the micro dimension in the form of personal experiences of prisoners. In short, that research on the sociology of prison space will unfold a paradigm that prison institutions are not actually “places of punishment”, but rather as products and procedures of complex social relations. The Contribution of Prison Sociology to the Future Social Agenda Prison sociology studies contribute at least in the form of a sociological approach, especially to studies on prisons, which so far have only been studied from the perspectives of law and criminology. Additionally, this study offers a perspective on the importance of using spatial theory in prison studies, whether separately or in combination with other theories, to produce a broader paradigm, including how prison habitus shapes the identity of inmates. From a methodological perspective, the study of prison space sociology provides a perspective on visual ethnography or architectural analysis in documenting important aspects of prison life that are socially produced. Furthermore, the sociology of prison space offers a different perspective from what many people have understood so far, that prisons are institutions for punishment, to the existence of prisons as spaces of resistance, particularly by analyzing how inmates interpret life in cells or prisons, the existence of inequality in treatment in the form of social segregation based on class or group within prisons, and mediating the conflict of perspectives between prisons as spaces for rehabilitation and repression, particularly in terms of prison architectural design and daily life practices. The study of prison sociology also allows researchers to conduct comparative studies, for example, comparing prisons in the context of Indonesia (Asia) and European countries, particularly in terms of their social constructs. From a policy perspective, prison sociology can contribute recommendations for more humane prison designs based on sociological analysis. Similarly, it examines the impact of prisons on the reintegration of inmates and critiques the existence of prisons, which ideally should serve as a solution within the judicial system. Finally, it can be explained that the study of prison sociology is a multidisciplinary field of study that combines and connects sociology, social geography, spatial analysis, and critical prison studies, which have not been extensively explored by researchers to date. CONCLUSION Prisons are living, dynamic social spaces that are constantly being given meaning as they evolve. The social reality reflecting power relations, identity, and resistance continues to unfold. Sociological studies of prison spaces reveal that the penal system, fundamentally a process of shaping mentalities, disciplining, and developing inmates, also produces inequality, marginalization, and new criminal habits. For this purpose, understanding prisons from a sociological perspective is also crucial for promoting reforms in the prison system and creating a more humane and fair prison environment. Sociological studies of prison spaces can adopt various theoretical approaches and alternative methods depending on the research orientation and objectives, and their discussions can utilize comparative studies of prisons in other countries, particularly focusing on differences in their social constructions. The research recommendations that can be put forward include the importance of studying prisons using a sociological approach as an alternative, complementing the existing approaches that have so far been oriented toward legal and criminal studies. References Aggarwal, N. K. (2013). Mental discipline, punishment and recidivism: reading Foucault against de-radicalisation programmes in the War on Terror. Critical Studies on Terrorism , 6 (2), 262–278. https://doi.org/10.1080/17539153.2012.749059 Ahmadin, A. (2024). Sociologizing Urban Space: Makassar in the Colonial and Post-Colonial Period . Widina Media Utama. https://repository.penerbitwidina.com/publications/567918/sociologizing-urban-space-makassar-in-the-colonial-and-post-colonial-period Ahmadin, A., Sanur, I. S., & Nur, R. J. (2025). Review of public space studies in Indonesia: Research identification and future social agenda. Journal of Water and Land Development , 136–147. https://doi.org/10.24425/jwld.2025.153526 Ahmadin, M. (2022). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Jurnal Kajian Sosial Dan Budaya: Tebar Science , 6 (1), 104–113. https://ejournal.tebarscience.com/index.php/JKSB/article/view/103 Arford, T., Courpasson, D., & Vallas, S. (2016). Prisons as sites of power/resistance. The SAGE Handbook of Resistance , 224–243. https://www.torrossa.com/en/resources/an/5018787#page=239 Badel, F., & Baeza, J. L. (2021). Digital public space for a digital society: A review of public spaces in the digital age. ArtGRID-Journal of Architecture Engineering and Fine Arts , 3 (2), 127–137. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/artgrid/issue/67840/1002117 Brand, S. (2016). Lived Experiences of Reintegration: A study of how former prisoners experienced reintegration in a local context. https://doi.org/10.21427/D7JS6C Burgason, K. A. (2017). Prison inmate economy. In Routledge Handbook of Corrections in the United States (pp. 409–419). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315645179-38 Cao, Y., Li, H., Luo, P., & Yao, J. (2018). Towards automatic numerical cross-checking: Extracting formulas from text. Proceedings of the 2018 World Wide Web Conference , 1795–1804. https://doi.org/10.1145/3178876.3186166 De Vos, H. (2023). Normalization, Punishment and Exceptionalism: What Do Normalized Prison Conditions Teach Us About Societies? In Beyond Scandinavian Exceptionalism: Normalization, Imprisonment and Society (pp. 303–332). Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28635-3_8 Farrugia, D. (2013). Young people and structural inequality: Beyond the middle ground. Journal of Youth Studies , 16 (5), 679–693. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2012.744817 Fleisher, M. S. (2017). The culture of violent behavior: Language, culture, and worldview of prison rape. In Qualitative Research in Criminology (pp. 101–131). Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315127880-7 Foucault, M. (2023). Discipline and punish. In Social theory re-wired (pp. 291–299). Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003320609-37 Foucoult, M. (1975). Discipline and punish. A. Sheridan, Tr., Paris, FR, Gallimard . https://www.joycerain.com/uploads/2/3/2/0/23207256/foucault_discipline_punish.pdf Garcia-Villegas, M. (2003). Symbolic power without symbolic violence. Fla. L. Rev. , 55 , 157. https://www.floridalawreview.com/article/80324 George, A. L., & Bennett, A. (2005). Case studies and theory development in the social sciences . mit Press. https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262572224/case-studies-and-theory-development-in-the-social-sciences/ Giddens, A. (1985). Time, space and regionalisation. In Social relations and spatial structures (pp. 265–295). Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-27935-7_12 Granja, R. (2019). Permeable prison walls: Social relationships, symbolic violence and reproduction of inequalities. In Prisons, state and violence (pp. 129–145). Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13077-0_10 Harvey, J. (2012). Young men in prison . Willan. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781843926931 Hewitt, S. (2009). Discourse analysis and public policy research. Centre for Rural Economy Discussion Paper Series , 24 , 1–16. http://ippra.com/attachments/article/207/dp24Hewitt.pdf Kallman, M., & Dini, R. (2017). An analysis of Michel Foucault’s Discipline and punish . Macat Library. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781912282630 Kovalerchuk, B., Kovalerchuk, B., & Schwing, J. (2004). Visual and spatial analysis . Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2958-5 Kupers, T., & Ojeda, A. (2008). Prison and the decimation of pro-social life skills. The Trauma of Psychological Torture , 5 , 127–138. https://www.nrcat.org/storage/documents/usp_kupers_prison_decimation_life_skills_.pdf Lafferty, L., Treloar, C., Butler, T., Guthrie, J., & Chambers, G. M. (2016). Unlocking dimensions of social capital in the prison setting. Health & Justice , 4 (1), 9. http://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-016-0040-z Leander, K. M., & Sheehy, M. (2004). Spatializing literacy research and practice (Vol. 15). Peter Lang. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1970586434827491096 Liu, S. (2024). Social spaces: from Georg Simmel to Erving Goffman. The Journal of Chinese Sociology , 11 (1), 13. http://doi.org/10.1186/s40711-024-00217-9 Michalski, J. H. (2017). Status hierarchies and hegemonic masculinity: A general theory of prison violence. British Journal of Criminology , 57 (1), 40–60. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azv098 Munn, M., & Bruckert, C. (2010). Beyond Conceptual Ambiguity: Exemplifying the" Resistance Pyramid" Through the Reflections of (Ex) Prisoners’ Agency. Qualitative Sociology Review , 6 (2), 137–149. https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.6.2.07 O’Boyle, N. (2022). Performers: Goffman’s Dramaturgical Perspective. In Communication Theory for Humans: Communicators in a Mediated World (pp. 103–125). Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-02450-4_5 Ochola, G. (2015). The effect of contraband smuggling on rehabilitation of inmates in Kenya: the case of Kamiti-maximum-prison . Doctoral dissertation, Master’s thesis, Kenyatta University. http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/13790 Pabjan, B. (2005). Measuring the social relations: social distance in social structure-a study of prison community. Acta Physica Polonica Series B , 36 (8), 2559. https://www.osti.gov/etdeweb/biblio/20661527 Pile, S. (2013). Introduction: Opposition, political identities and spaces of resistance. In Geographies of resistance (pp. 1–32). Routledge. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=359873 Ralph, T. (2016). Constructing Places of Resistance and Non-Participatory Identities in a Secondary School Undergoing Radical Change . University of Exeter (United Kingdom). https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10871/23094 Reithmaier, T. (2005). Maps and photographs. The Historical Ecology Handbook , 121–146. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406919872112 Roberts, A., Onwumere, J., Forrester, A., Huddy, V., Byrne, M., Campbell, C., Jarrett, M., Phillip, P., & Valmaggia, L. (2017). Family intervention in a prison environment: A systematic literature review. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health , 27 (4), 326–340. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315129112 Sanford, N. (2017). Self and society: Social change and individual development . Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315129112 Santos, K. da S., Ribeiro, M. C., Queiroga, D. E. U. de, Silva, I. A. P. da, & Ferreira, S. M. S. (2020). The use of multiple triangulations as a validation strategy in a qualitative study. Ciencia & Saude Coletiva , 25 , 655–664. https://www.scielosp.org/article/csc/2020.v25n2/655-664/en/ Schlosser, J. A. (2013). Bourdieu and Foucault: A conceptual integration toward an empirical sociology of prisons. Critical Criminology , 21 (1), 31–46. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-012-9164-1 Sloop, J. M. (2006). The cultural prison: Discourse, prisoners, and punishment . University of Alabama Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/181/monograph/book/41865 Smith, C. (2009). The prison and the American imagination . Yale University Press. http://doi.org/10.12987/9780300156300 Smith, R., Grimshaw, R., Romeo, R., & Knapp, M. (2007). Poverty and disadvantage among prisoners’ families (Vol. 10). Joseph Rowntree Foundation York. https://new.basw.co.uk/sites/default/files/resources/basw_101532-2_0.pdf Šupa, M. (2015). Mapping practices of social control: A Foucauldian analysis of urban space. Kriminologijos Studijos. , 3 , 82–123. http://doi.org/10.15388/CrimLithuan.2015.0.8951 Sykes, G. M. (2007). The society of captives: A study of a maximum security prison . Princeton university press. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1971149384765495475 Thrift, N., & Williams, P. (2014). Class and space (RLE social theory): The making of urban society . Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315763705 Tickamyer, A. R. (2000). Space matters! Spatial inequality in future sociology. Contemporary Sociology , 29 (6), 805–813. https://doi.org/10.2307/2654088 Tonry, M., & Bucerius, S. (2023). Crime and Justice, Volume 51: Prisons and Prisoners . University of Chicago Press. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/C/bo190114428.html Van Der Laan, F. (2012). “Prison doesn’t stop them” Orchestrating criminal acts from behind bars. Trends in Organized Crime , 15 (2), 130–145. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-012-9156-2 Wang, R., Deng, J., Guan, X., & He, Y. (2024). A framework of genealogy knowledge reasoning and visualization based on a knowledge graph. Library Hi Tech , 42 (6), 1977–1999. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-05-2022-0265 Ward, V., House, A., & Hamer, S. (2009). Developing a framework for transferring knowledge into action: a thematic analysis of the literature. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy , 14 (3), 156–164. https://doi.org/10.1258/jhsrp.2009.008120 Yagunov, D. (2024). Informal Hierarchies in Modern Prisons: Nature, Manifestations, and Threats to Human Rights. Evropsky Politicky a Pravni Diskurz, 11 , 3 , 24–42. http://doi.org/10.46340/eppd.2024.11.3.3 Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7384745","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Systematic Review","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":501174995,"identity":"dee1d718-a375-4d04-bb5c-9e11c6120203","order_by":0,"name":"Ahmadin Ahmadin","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAuklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCSDmMWCQg/F5GA4QqcWYVC0MDIkNcBFCWvhndyd+eFNwJ33D7e4Ehh81DDJ8hLRI3Dm7WXKOwbPcDXfObmDsOcbAI0nQYTdyN0jzGBzO3QBkMPA2AP1FSIv8jdzNv4Fa0g2AWhj/EqMFqHIbyJYEkBZmomwxBGqxnGNw2HAmUMthmWMShP0iB3TYjTd/Dsvz3cjd+PBNjY09wRBDAQcg0TQKRsEoGAWjgGIAAD3dRc/o+8ZaAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7123-5216","institution":"Universitas Negeri Makassar","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ahmadin","middleName":"","lastName":"Ahmadin","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-08-16 03:29:14","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":true,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":true,"humanSubjectConsent":true,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7384745/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7384745/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":89348245,"identity":"2ec93ada-c554-4abc-95db-6f786506f27c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-19 05:31:51","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":93280,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eMapping of documents by type (Source: Scopus Database, August 2025)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7384745/v1/64486a91fd9f0e6bc5e543b3.png"},{"id":89350127,"identity":"2f4f0955-8f4c-4f2b-9a5c-b16c249e5a44","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-19 05:55:51","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":165743,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eMapping of documents by subject area (Source: Scopus Database, August 2025)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7384745/v1/7806732063f6835bad4fdcaf.png"},{"id":89348990,"identity":"798298c6-a385-4512-88b3-668846d0e3ff","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-19 05:39:51","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":83591,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eMapping of documents by country or area (Source: Scopus Database, August 2025)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7384745/v1/51f89574ed4de1f064edcf7c.png"},{"id":89348248,"identity":"ff98e5e4-e66f-4418-aeb3-db9cf1307929","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-19 05:31:51","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":110487,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eMapping of documents by year (Source: Scopus Database, August 2025)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7384745/v1/ee2e0b4cd7408105faaef966.png"},{"id":89350128,"identity":"b1389784-63c5-4597-ab60-acead2e89aef","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-19 05:55:56","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":800143,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7384745/v1/e5bee35e-0e64-4e7d-9339-dd1d7ede7201.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eThe Sociology of Prison Space: A Theoretical and Methodological Framework for Carceral Studies\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"INTRODUCTION","content":"\u003cp\u003eOne clear evidence of the rapid development of sociological studies (George \u0026amp; Bennett, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e) in recent years is the emergence of a new paradigm that time is not the only key element of social change, as assumed in classical theories, but that the nature of space is also an important determinant (Thrift \u0026amp; Williams, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). Based on the fundamental assumption that space is not passive but rather dynamic in line with social change in society (Sanford, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e), studies on space in sociology have also become increasingly prevalent (Tickamyer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e). Some of these include studies on urban public space, residential space, symbolic space, and other social spaces, as well as virtual space (Badel \u0026amp; Baeza, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). The significance of space is also increasingly showing its dynamic nature as its functions change and even the types of space become more varied.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne type of social space worth examining is the prison (Granja, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e), which, from a sociological perspective, is not merely an institution for isolating individuals who have committed crimes. Furthermore, prisons can be seen as a design for power relations, norms, and social stratification (Sloop, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). Prisons can also be imagined as a microcosm of society that reflects various forms of inequality, control, and resistance (Arford et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). This can be a source of inspiration to change the atmosphere of prisons through architectural design, regulations, and models of social interaction in prisons, thereby creating practices and experiences of space for their inhabitants.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVarious ironic conditions and forms of social inequality within prison walls continue to be a subject of critical discourse, particularly the emergence of a new awareness that prisons should ideally not only serve as passive rehabilitation centers. Instead, prisons are envisioned as spaces for training life skills (Kupers \u0026amp; Ojeda, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e), such as discipline, community, supervision (Kupers \u0026amp; Ojeda, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e), and normalization (De Vos, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). A positive practice in such conditions is that inmates can train themselves to adapt to the prison environment, inmate culture, and informal networks within a harsh environment, thereby developing a resilient mindset.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrison sociology analysis focuses on understanding the physical and social structures of prisons, which significantly influence interpersonal relationships (Pabjan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e), the formation of hierarchies (Michalski, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e), and post-release reintegration (Brand, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). For this purpose, this article presents several relevant concepts and theories about prison sociology, providing readers with an understanding of the contribution of prison sociology to the function of prisons as arenas of power struggles and social identity. Furthermore, it contributes to the discussion on the importance of reforming the function of prisons and making them more humane, just, and educational.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"METHOD","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study uses a literature review method (Roberts et al., 2017), which involves searching for sources of literature on the sociology of prisons through books, articles in scientific journals, popular scientific articles, news in the mass media, government documents, field research reports, current prison policies, and other types of sources. A systematic literature review was conducted using a meta-synthesis approach, focusing on the integration of concepts or theories of prison sociology from at least the past 10-20 years of literature. The literature search technique was conducted on academic databases, such as Google Scholar, Science Direct, ResearchGate, JSTOR, Scopus, Web of Sciences, DOAJ, and other sources (A. Ahmadin et al., 2025). The keywords used for the literature search were prison sociology, prison space, prisoners, prison policy, and rehabilitation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll data and literature collected were then selected based on several criteria, such as: their level of suitability with the concept of spatial sociology, the relevance of theoretical perspectives, and the balance between classical and contemporary literature. Data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis to identify conceptual compatibility between available literature and the required information or data (Ward et al., 2009). In addition, discourse analysis was performed on a number of texts regarding current prison policies, tracing the genealogy of knowledge to obtain information (Wang et al., 2024) about the development of concepts related to prison space, and conducting comparative analysis, particularly regarding different prison systems or conditions in various locations.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData verification techniques were carried out through source triangulation (Santos et al., 2020), namely between academic databases, official government reports, and testimonies from certain parties who understand prison conditions; cross-checking references between texts (Cao et al., 2018); and discussing with experts or specialists in the sociology of space or prison sociology. Data analysis was conducted by comparing social theory with empirical manifestations, official discourse with daily practices, and architectural design with actual space usage.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"RESULT AND DISCUSSION","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBibliometric Mapping of Prison Studies\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo gain an understanding of the importance of sociological studies of space in relation to the existence of prison institutions, it is first necessary to conduct a bibliometric mapping of trends in this field of study. The aim is to identify gaps between the importance of the study and the reality reflected in the number of related publications. This mapping uses the Scopus database with three keywords: \u0026ldquo;Sociology,\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;Space,\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;Prison.\u0026rdquo; Several categories of data search results for research and writings on prisons include: documents by type, documents by country or region, documents by subject area, and documents by year of publication. Each of these mapping results can be detailed as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the results of a search of the Scopus database from 1979 to 2025, it can be seen that the number of documents by type is as follows: Articles, 22 documents (50.0%), Books, 9 documents (20.5%), Book chapters, 8 documents (18.2%), Editorials, 2 documents (4.5%), Reviews, 2 documents (4.5%), and Notes, 1 document (2.3%). For further details, please refer to the following figure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe information in the figure shows that studies on prisons as spaces are still limited, with only 22 documents in the form of scientific journal articles. Similarly, there are only nine documents in the form of books and eight documents in the form of book chapters. The limited number of studies on prisons as social spaces highlights the importance of discussing prisons in the study of spatial sociology.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe results of searching data on documents by subject area show that: Social Sciences 36 documents (54.5%), Arts and Humanities 11 documents (16.7%), Medicine 4 (6.1%), Psychology 3 documents (4.5%), Earth and Planetary Sciences 2 documents (3.0%), Engineering 2 documents (3.0%), Nursing 2 documents (3.3%), Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular Biology 1 document (1.5%), Business, Management, and Accounting 1 document (1.5%), Economics, Econometrics, and Finance 1 document (1.5%), and others 3 documents (4.5%). For more details, please refer to the following figure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReading several documents, particularly those in the social subject area category, it was found that of the 44 titles (54.5%), each discussed topics such as: experiences in prison, learning from prison (tutoring cases), prison as isolation in relation to daily life, prison as a criminology laboratory, conditions within prison, working in prison and the perception of time by inmates, coping with prison life through an analysis of inmates contemplating suicide, and other aspects of life in prison.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOther documents examine prison geography, focusing on space and detention practices; detention spaces, analyzing mobility and autonomy in special detention cases involving migrants; space and place, discussing healthcare services in women\u0026apos;s prisons; and spending time in prison, its relationship with space, time, and prison geography. From these research findings, it is evident that studies on prisons from a sociological perspective on space remain limited. While some address space, they do so from a geographical or other disciplinary perspective. This suggests that a sociological approach to space should be given proper consideration in studies on prisons.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe results of document searches by country or region show that: United States 16 documents, United Kingdom 10 documents, Australia 3 documents, Canada 3 documents, France 3 documents, Switzerland 2 documents, Argentina 1 document, Chile 1 document, and Finland 1 document. For more details, see the following figure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the results of document searches by country or territory, it appears that of the top 10 countries, namely the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Switzerland, Argentina, Chile, Finland, and Italy, not a single Asian country, including Indonesia, is included. This means that studies of prison institutions from a spatial sociology perspective have not yet become a serious concern among researchers in Southeast Asia. This is where there is an important space to place sociological studies of space to analyze social life within prisons, as well as to identify solutions for various issues and disparities related to their existence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the results of document searches through the Scopus database, it can be explained that from 1979 to 2025, there were only 43 documents discussing the topics of sociology, space, and prisons. The breakdown is as follows: 1 document (2025), 4 documents (2024), 1 document (2023), 1 document (2022), 2 documents (2021), 1 document (2020), 4 documents (2019), 3 documents (2018), 3 documents (2017), 3 documents (2016), \u0026nbsp;4 documents (2015), 1 document (2014), 3 documents (2013), 2 documents (2012), 0 documents (2009\u0026ndash;2011), 1 document (2008), 2 documents (2007), and 1 document (1979). For further illustration, the data can be viewed in the following figure.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStudies on prisons as social spaces based on this data are still very limited, with only one document published between 1979 and 2006 and two documents published in 2007. Similarly, between 2009 and 2011, there were no publications on this topic in the Scopus database. In its development up to 2025, the number of documents on this topic according to the Scopus database also shows a very minimal number, ranging from 1 to 4 per year. Given the extremely low number of documents, it is clear that the contribution of the sociology of space approach to studies on prison institutions has not yet yielded encouraging results. This is an important note that studies on the sociology of space still require serious attention and should be given a proper place in prison studies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrison Space in Theoretical Narratives\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sociology of prison space in its study can use a variety of perspectives or theoretical approaches. One interesting theoretical approach used is the concept of total institution developed by Michael Foucault with the unit of analysis of discipline and power (Kallman \u0026amp; Dini, 2017). In his popular work entitled \u0026ldquo;Discipline and Punish\u0026rdquo;, Foucault imagines prison space as a total institution that can functionally serve as a place to discipline the body through surveillance mechanisms, time division, and nomalization of inmate behavior (Foucault, 2023). Furthermore, the prison is depicted as an institution that does not merely function to punish, but also to train the inmates\u0026apos; obedience through control (Foucoult, 1975). In the concept of governance, the state can utilize the regulatory function to regulate the population in the punishment system.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother relevant theory is \u0026ldquo;Dramaturgy and Identity\u0026rdquo; introduced by Erving Goffman in the work \u0026lsquo;Asylums\u0026rsquo; (O\u0026rsquo;Boyle, 2022), where prisons are imagined as spaces that separate individuals from the wider community and then construct new identities through the stages of the \u0026ldquo;self-mortification\u0026rdquo; process (C. Smith, 2009). The inmates are described as carrying out a series of self-expression processes in order to be able to exist among the harsh social hierarchy of the prison. The existence of prison space is also interestingly connected to Anthony Giddens\u0026apos; (1984) theory of structuration and social space, which describes prison space as not only formed through physical rules but also through the agency of its inhabitants (Giddens, 1985). Prisoners are also envisioned as individuals who are not passive, but actively negotiate norms, construct subcultures, and resist prison authority.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLife in prison is also interesting to examine using Pierre Bourdieu\u0026apos;s concepts of habitus, social capital, and symbolic violence (Schlosser, 2013). Through the concept of habitus, we will be helped in compiling the mental schemes of prisoners who are constructed through life experiences while being prisoners in prison. The concept of social capital is used to analyze the network of power relations between prisoners in prison (Lafferty et al., 2016), which is often referred to as a hidden structure (Yagunov, 2024) in the ecosystem of correctional institutions. It should be noted that in the prison space there is an informal hierarchy among prisoners (Yagunov, 2024), so it seems that the prison creates a kind of power pyramid that is complex in nature (Munn \u0026amp; Bruckert, 2010).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHierarchy in the prison space (Michalski, 2017), such as the so-called \u0026ldquo;Elit Lapas\u0026rdquo; (Correctional Institution Elites) are thugs and bosses who have the power to control the distribution of prohibited goods into the prison, such as drugs and cell phones (Arford et al., 2016). The prison elite have privileged access to officials and often collect taxes from prisoners (R. Smith et al., 2007). At another level of the hierarchy, there are low-level workers or coolies (assistants) who work to clean cells and prepare food who are often exploited, and there are also those in the lowest caste who are often the object of violence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe prison space is also a place for transactions of goods and services with a barter system or \u0026ldquo;informal currency\u0026rdquo; (Burgason, 2017), such as cigarettes as the most popular main currency, cell phone rental, drug trafficking with a deposit system (Ochola, 2015), and there are also protection services through jockeys for new prisoners (Harvey, 2012), bribing officers in special visits (Van Der Laan, 2012), and others. As for the relationship with symbolic violence according to Bourdieu, it is in the form of legitimizing the power of officers (Garcia-Villegas, 2003) through their uniforms and job procedures. Similarly, symbolic violence is in the form of language as a tool of power, such as in the label of prisoner or bandit (Fleisher, 2017). Analysis using Bourdieu\u0026apos;s concept allows a recommendation in the form of reproduction of inequality in prison space, discrimination based on capital, and the irony of prison which in many practices actually strengthens the criminal habitus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFurthermore, the theory of sociology of space developed by Henri Lefebvre in the book \u0026ldquo;The Production of Space\u0026rdquo; (1974) and Edward Soja through an article entitled \u0026ldquo;Thirdspace\u0026rdquo; (1996) (A. Ahmadin, 2024), is also interesting as an analytical knife in studying prison space in a sociological paradigm. The basic assumption that can be developed is that prison as a social space is not limited to its function as a physical place, but is a space that has and is given political meaning, conflict, and resistance (Pile, 2013). The theoretical implications of the theoretical review can help develop a framework for analyzing the existence of prison space as a tool of social control in Foucault\u0026apos;s view (\u0026Scaron;upa, 2015), a space for identity formation according to Goffman and Giddens (Liu, 2024), a reflection of structural inequality in Bourdieu\u0026apos;s perspective (Farrugia, 2013), and an arena for negotiating power as in the writings of Lefebvre and Soja (Leander \u0026amp; Sheehy, 2004).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSociological Research Approach to Prison Space\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sociological study of prison space can be conducted through various methodological approaches to reveal the complex social relations, power and meaning behind the prison institution. \u003cem\u003eFirst\u003c/em\u003e, the ethnographic approach allows researchers to deeply understand the reality of the locus through participatory or non-participatory observation (Ralph, 2016) in the prison space. Data collection techniques can be done through observation of forms of interaction between prisoners, prison officers, and other parties. The aim is to understand prisoner culture, hierarchy, and adaptation models. A classic study written by Gresham Sykes entitled \u0026ldquo;The Society of Captives\u0026rdquo;, illustrates how life in prison is full of social dynamics (Sykes, 2007). The ethnographic study approach has the advantage of the amount of data that can be obtained as well as direct life experience as a result of observation. However, it also has disadvantages in the form of limited access, especially to the bureaucracy, security, and other risks as a participant.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSecond\u003c/em\u003e, the discourse and policy analysis approach is a study conducted using official government documentation data (Hewitt, 2009), such as: laws, prison regulations, official reports, media reports, and others. This approach can be carried out using a combination of historical methods in the form of synchronic and diachronic studies (M. Ahmadin, 2022) of state policies towards prison institutions from time to time and what aspects underlie them. An example is Foucault\u0026apos;s study of the major change in the discourse on punishment for prisoners from a form of bodily torture to a model of mental discipline (Aggarwal, 2013). The advantage of this research method is that it allows a series of criticisms of a power and ideology adopted in organizing the prison system. The weakness is that the study approach, which relies on documents, does not directly touch the reality of the locus in the prison space.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThird\u003c/em\u003e, the study of prison sociology can also be approached by using in-depth interview data with prisoners, officers, families, and activists. The advantage of this method is that researchers will get in-depth narratives about the personal experiences of prisoners, the views of prisoners and families about justice in prison, and understand the psychosocial impact of prison. An interesting example is the research on women in prison written by Bucerius and Sandberg entitled \u0026quot;Women in prisons: Crime and justice\u0026rdquo; (Tonry \u0026amp; Bucerius, 2023). This method has the advantage of representing the aspirations of actors, but the disadvantage is limited access to interviews with these parties.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFourth\u003c/em\u003e, sociological studies of prison space can use a visual and spatial approach (Kovalerchuk et al., 2004), namely analyzing prison space through visual appearances in the form of architecture, cells, surveillance areas, and other spatial elements through photographs or maps (Reithmaier, 2005). Through this visual and spatial study, researchers can connect the physical design of prisons with social control, as well as prison spatial conditions can be used as material to analyze the effectiveness of its function and sustainability. The advantage of this method of study is that the researcher obtains data on how power is manifested in the meterial space. The disadvantage is that it requires time and access to review the location directly and requires design data.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the description of several alternative research methods and approaches, it can be said that each has advantages and disadvantages. One important thing that should not be overlooked is that the triangulation method is indispensable in this type of research, namely in order to cover the macro aspect in the form of prison policies as well as the micro dimension in the form of personal experiences of prisoners. In short, that research on the sociology of prison space will unfold a paradigm that prison institutions are not actually \u0026ldquo;places of punishment\u0026rdquo;, but rather as products and procedures of complex social relations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Contribution of Prison Sociology to the Future Social Agenda\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrison sociology studies contribute at least in the form of a sociological approach, especially to studies on prisons, which so far have only been studied from the perspectives of law and criminology. Additionally, this study offers a perspective on the importance of using spatial theory in prison studies, whether separately or in combination with other theories, to produce a broader paradigm, including how prison habitus shapes the identity of inmates. From a methodological perspective, the study of prison space sociology provides a perspective on visual ethnography or architectural analysis in documenting important aspects of prison life that are socially produced. Furthermore, the sociology of prison space offers a different perspective from what many people have understood so far, that prisons are institutions for punishment, to the existence of prisons as spaces of resistance, particularly by analyzing how inmates interpret life in cells or prisons, the existence of inequality in treatment in the form of social segregation based on class or group within prisons, and mediating the conflict of perspectives between prisons as spaces for rehabilitation and repression, particularly in terms of prison architectural design and daily life practices.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study of prison sociology also allows researchers to conduct comparative studies, for example, comparing prisons in the context of Indonesia (Asia) and European countries, particularly in terms of their social constructs. From a policy perspective, prison sociology can contribute recommendations for more humane prison designs based on sociological analysis. Similarly, it examines the impact of prisons on the reintegration of inmates and critiques the existence of prisons, which ideally should serve as a solution within the judicial system. Finally, it can be explained that the study of prison sociology is a multidisciplinary field of study that combines and connects sociology, social geography, spatial analysis, and critical prison studies, which have not been extensively explored by researchers to date.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"CONCLUSION","content":"\u003cp\u003ePrisons are living, dynamic social spaces that are constantly being given meaning as they evolve. The social reality reflecting power relations, identity, and resistance continues to unfold. Sociological studies of prison spaces reveal that the penal system, fundamentally a process of shaping mentalities, disciplining, and developing inmates, also produces inequality, marginalization, and new criminal habits. For this purpose, understanding prisons from a sociological perspective is also crucial for promoting reforms in the prison system and creating a more humane and fair prison environment. Sociological studies of prison spaces can adopt various theoretical approaches and alternative methods depending on the research orientation and objectives, and their discussions can utilize comparative studies of prisons in other countries, particularly focusing on differences in their social constructions. The research recommendations that can be put forward include the importance of studying prisons using a sociological approach as an alternative, complementing the existing approaches that have so far been oriented toward legal and criminal studies.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAggarwal, N. K. (2013). Mental discipline, punishment and recidivism: reading Foucault against de-radicalisation programmes in the War on Terror. \u003cem\u003eCritical Studies on Terrorism\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e6\u003c/em\u003e(2), 262\u0026ndash;278. https://doi.org/10.1080/17539153.2012.749059\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAhmadin, A. (2024). \u003cem\u003eSociologizing Urban Space: Makassar in the Colonial and Post-Colonial Period\u003c/em\u003e. Widina Media Utama. https://repository.penerbitwidina.com/publications/567918/sociologizing-urban-space-makassar-in-the-colonial-and-post-colonial-period \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAhmadin, A., Sanur, I. S., \u0026amp; Nur, R. J. (2025). Review of public space studies in Indonesia: Research identification and future social agenda. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Water and Land Development\u003c/em\u003e, 136\u0026ndash;147. https://doi.org/10.24425/jwld.2025.153526\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAhmadin, M. (2022). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. \u003cem\u003eJurnal Kajian Sosial Dan Budaya: Tebar Science\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e6\u003c/em\u003e(1), 104\u0026ndash;113. https://ejournal.tebarscience.com/index.php/JKSB/article/view/103\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArford, T., Courpasson, D., \u0026amp; Vallas, S. (2016). Prisons as sites of power/resistance. \u003cem\u003eThe SAGE Handbook of Resistance\u003c/em\u003e, 224\u0026ndash;243. https://www.torrossa.com/en/resources/an/5018787#page=239\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBadel, F., \u0026amp; Baeza, J. L. (2021). Digital public space for a digital society: A review of public spaces in the digital age. \u003cem\u003eArtGRID-Journal of Architecture Engineering and Fine Arts\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e3\u003c/em\u003e(2), 127\u0026ndash;137. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/artgrid/issue/67840/1002117\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrand, S. (2016). \u003cem\u003eLived Experiences of Reintegration: A study of how former prisoners experienced reintegration in a local context.\u003c/em\u003e https://doi.org/10.21427/D7JS6C\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBurgason, K. A. (2017). Prison inmate economy. In \u003cem\u003eRoutledge Handbook of Corrections in the United States\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 409\u0026ndash;419). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315645179-38\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCao, Y., Li, H., Luo, P., \u0026amp; Yao, J. (2018). Towards automatic numerical cross-checking: Extracting formulas from text. \u003cem\u003eProceedings of the 2018 World Wide Web Conference\u003c/em\u003e, 1795\u0026ndash;1804. https://doi.org/10.1145/3178876.3186166\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDe Vos, H. (2023). Normalization, Punishment and Exceptionalism: What Do Normalized Prison Conditions Teach Us About Societies? In \u003cem\u003eBeyond Scandinavian Exceptionalism: Normalization, Imprisonment and Society\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 303\u0026ndash;332). Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28635-3_8\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFarrugia, D. (2013). Young people and structural inequality: Beyond the middle ground. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Youth Studies\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e16\u003c/em\u003e(5), 679\u0026ndash;693. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2012.744817\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFleisher, M. S. (2017). The culture of violent behavior: Language, culture, and worldview of prison rape. In \u003cem\u003eQualitative Research in Criminology\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 101\u0026ndash;131). Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315127880-7\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFoucault, M. (2023). Discipline and punish. In \u003cem\u003eSocial theory re-wired\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 291\u0026ndash;299). Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003320609-37\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFoucoult, M. (1975). Discipline and punish. \u003cem\u003eA. Sheridan, Tr., Paris, FR, Gallimard\u003c/em\u003e. https://www.joycerain.com/uploads/2/3/2/0/23207256/foucault_discipline_punish.pdf\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGarcia-Villegas, M. (2003). Symbolic power without symbolic violence. \u003cem\u003eFla. L. Rev.\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e55\u003c/em\u003e, 157. https://www.floridalawreview.com/article/80324 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGeorge, A. L., \u0026amp; Bennett, A. (2005). \u003cem\u003eCase studies and theory development in the social sciences\u003c/em\u003e. mit Press. https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262572224/case-studies-and-theory-development-in-the-social-sciences/ \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGiddens, A. (1985). Time, space and regionalisation. In \u003cem\u003eSocial relations and spatial structures\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 265\u0026ndash;295). Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-27935-7_12 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGranja, R. (2019). Permeable prison walls: Social relationships, symbolic violence and reproduction of inequalities. In \u003cem\u003ePrisons, state and violence\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 129\u0026ndash;145). Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13077-0_10 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHarvey, J. (2012). \u003cem\u003eYoung men in prison\u003c/em\u003e. Willan. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781843926931\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHewitt, S. (2009). Discourse analysis and public policy research. \u003cem\u003eCentre for Rural Economy Discussion Paper Series\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e24\u003c/em\u003e, 1\u0026ndash;16. http://ippra.com/attachments/article/207/dp24Hewitt.pdf \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKallman, M., \u0026amp; Dini, R. (2017). \u003cem\u003eAn analysis of Michel Foucault\u0026rsquo;s Discipline and punish\u003c/em\u003e. Macat Library. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781912282630\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKovalerchuk, B., Kovalerchuk, B., \u0026amp; Schwing, J. (2004). \u003cem\u003eVisual and spatial analysis\u003c/em\u003e. Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-2958-5 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKupers, T., \u0026amp; Ojeda, A. (2008). Prison and the decimation of pro-social life skills. \u003cem\u003eThe Trauma of Psychological Torture\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e5\u003c/em\u003e, 127\u0026ndash;138. https://www.nrcat.org/storage/documents/usp_kupers_prison_decimation_life_skills_.pdf \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLafferty, L., Treloar, C., Butler, T., Guthrie, J., \u0026amp; Chambers, G. M. (2016). Unlocking dimensions of social capital in the prison setting. \u003cem\u003eHealth \u0026amp; Justice\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e4\u003c/em\u003e(1), 9. http://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-016-0040-z\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLeander, K. M., \u0026amp; Sheehy, M. (2004). \u003cem\u003eSpatializing literacy research and practice\u003c/em\u003e (Vol. 15). Peter Lang. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1970586434827491096\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLiu, S. (2024). Social spaces: from Georg Simmel to Erving Goffman. \u003cem\u003eThe Journal of Chinese Sociology\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e11\u003c/em\u003e(1), 13. http://doi.org/10.1186/s40711-024-00217-9\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMichalski, J. H. (2017). Status hierarchies and hegemonic masculinity: A general theory of prison violence. \u003cem\u003eBritish Journal of Criminology\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e57\u003c/em\u003e(1), 40\u0026ndash;60. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azv098\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMunn, M., \u0026amp; Bruckert, C. (2010). Beyond Conceptual Ambiguity: Exemplifying the\u0026quot; Resistance Pyramid\u0026quot; Through the Reflections of (Ex) Prisoners\u0026rsquo; Agency. \u003cem\u003eQualitative Sociology Review\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e6\u003c/em\u003e(2), 137\u0026ndash;149. https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.6.2.07\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eO\u0026rsquo;Boyle, N. (2022). Performers: Goffman\u0026rsquo;s Dramaturgical Perspective. In \u003cem\u003eCommunication Theory for Humans: Communicators in a Mediated World\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 103\u0026ndash;125). Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-02450-4_5\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOchola, G. (2015). \u003cem\u003eThe effect of contraband smuggling on rehabilitation of inmates in Kenya: the case of Kamiti-maximum-prison\u003c/em\u003e. Doctoral dissertation, Master\u0026rsquo;s thesis, Kenyatta University. http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/13790\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePabjan, B. (2005). Measuring the social relations: social distance in social structure-a study of prison community. \u003cem\u003eActa Physica Polonica Series B\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e36\u003c/em\u003e(8), 2559. https://www.osti.gov/etdeweb/biblio/20661527\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePile, S. (2013). Introduction: Opposition, political identities and spaces of resistance. In \u003cem\u003eGeographies of resistance\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 1\u0026ndash;32). Routledge. https://www.scirp.org/reference/referencespapers?referenceid=359873 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRalph, T. (2016). \u003cem\u003eConstructing Places of Resistance and Non-Participatory Identities in a Secondary School Undergoing Radical Change\u003c/em\u003e. University of Exeter (United Kingdom). https://ore.exeter.ac.uk/repository/handle/10871/23094 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReithmaier, T. (2005). Maps and photographs. \u003cem\u003eThe Historical Ecology Handbook\u003c/em\u003e, 121\u0026ndash;146. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406919872112\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoberts, A., Onwumere, J., Forrester, A., Huddy, V., Byrne, M., Campbell, C., Jarrett, M., Phillip, P., \u0026amp; Valmaggia, L. (2017). Family intervention in a prison environment: A systematic literature review. \u003cem\u003eCriminal Behaviour and Mental Health\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e27\u003c/em\u003e(4), 326\u0026ndash;340. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315129112\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSanford, N. (2017). \u003cem\u003eSelf and society: Social change and individual development\u003c/em\u003e. Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315129112\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSantos, K. da S., Ribeiro, M. C., Queiroga, D. E. U. de, Silva, I. A. P. da, \u0026amp; Ferreira, S. M. S. (2020). The use of multiple triangulations as a validation strategy in a qualitative study. \u003cem\u003eCiencia \u0026amp; Saude Coletiva\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e25\u003c/em\u003e, 655\u0026ndash;664. https://www.scielosp.org/article/csc/2020.v25n2/655-664/en/\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSchlosser, J. A. (2013). Bourdieu and Foucault: A conceptual integration toward an empirical sociology of prisons. \u003cem\u003eCritical Criminology\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e21\u003c/em\u003e(1), 31\u0026ndash;46. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-012-9164-1\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSloop, J. M. (2006). \u003cem\u003eThe cultural prison: Discourse, prisoners, and punishment\u003c/em\u003e. University of Alabama Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/181/monograph/book/41865\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSmith, C. (2009). \u003cem\u003eThe prison and the American imagination\u003c/em\u003e. Yale University Press. http://doi.org/10.12987/9780300156300\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSmith, R., Grimshaw, R., Romeo, R., \u0026amp; Knapp, M. (2007). \u003cem\u003ePoverty and disadvantage among prisoners\u0026rsquo; families\u003c/em\u003e (Vol. 10). Joseph Rowntree Foundation York. https://new.basw.co.uk/sites/default/files/resources/basw_101532-2_0.pdf\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026Scaron;upa, M. (2015). Mapping practices of social control: A Foucauldian analysis of urban space. \u003cem\u003eKriminologijos Studijos.\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e3\u003c/em\u003e, 82\u0026ndash;123. http://doi.org/10.15388/CrimLithuan.2015.0.8951\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSykes, G. M. (2007). \u003cem\u003eThe society of captives: A study of a maximum security prison\u003c/em\u003e. Princeton university press. https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1971149384765495475\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThrift, N., \u0026amp; Williams, P. (2014). \u003cem\u003eClass and space (RLE social theory): The making of urban society\u003c/em\u003e. Routledge. http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315763705\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTickamyer, A. R. (2000). Space matters! Spatial inequality in future sociology. \u003cem\u003eContemporary Sociology\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e29\u003c/em\u003e(6), 805\u0026ndash;813.\u003cu\u003e \u003c/u\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.2307/2654088\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTonry, M., \u0026amp; Bucerius, S. (2023). \u003cem\u003eCrime and Justice, Volume 51: Prisons and Prisoners\u003c/em\u003e. University of Chicago Press. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/C/bo190114428.html \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVan Der Laan, F. (2012). \u0026ldquo;Prison doesn\u0026rsquo;t stop them\u0026rdquo; Orchestrating criminal acts from behind bars. \u003cem\u003eTrends in Organized Crime\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e15\u003c/em\u003e(2), 130\u0026ndash;145. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-012-9156-2\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWang, R., Deng, J., Guan, X., \u0026amp; He, Y. (2024). A framework of genealogy knowledge reasoning and visualization based on a knowledge graph. \u003cem\u003eLibrary Hi Tech\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e42\u003c/em\u003e(6), 1977\u0026ndash;1999. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-05-2022-0265\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWard, V., House, A., \u0026amp; Hamer, S. (2009). Developing a framework for transferring knowledge into action: a thematic analysis of the literature. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Health Services Research \u0026amp; Policy\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e14\u003c/em\u003e(3), 156\u0026ndash;164. https://doi.org/10.1258/jhsrp.2009.008120\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYagunov, D. (2024). Informal Hierarchies in Modern Prisons: Nature, Manifestations, and Threats to Human Rights. \u003cem\u003eEvropsky Politicky a Pravni Diskurz, 11\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e3\u003c/em\u003e, 24\u0026ndash;42. http://doi.org/10.46340/eppd.2024.11.3.3\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Universitas Negeri Makassar","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"sociology, prison, space, social, institution","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7384745/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7384745/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eSociologically, prison is a social space whose existence is functionally not only limited to the institution of punishment, but constructs the dynamics of power, social relations, and identity in society. This paper examines prisons in a sociological study of space with a unit of analysis of the prison space structure that forms patterns of interaction, herarchy, and the process of adaptation between prisoners and prison officers. This type of research is a literature review of a number of relevant literature both books, articles, and other types of scientific works with a descriptive analysis model. The social theory used is the concept of Panopticon developed by Michael Foucault about the structure of surveillance and the concept of Total institution from Erving Goffman. There are three important things discussed in this article, namely why prison as an isolation space is important to be discussed sociologically, what is the scope of the study of prison sociology, and what is the contribution of its study to social science studies.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The Sociology of Prison Space: A Theoretical and Methodological Framework for Carceral Studies","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-08-19 05:31:31","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7384745/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"b45d68b9-8fd5-4e19-8a8c-fb3290fbd6ea","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 19th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":53353294,"name":"Sociology"},{"id":53353295,"name":"Criminology"},{"id":53353296,"name":"Social Policy"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-08-19T05:31:46+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-08-19 05:31:31","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7384745","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7384745","identity":"rs-7384745","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}