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Ex-Offenders, Stigma Management, and Social Movements: An Organizational Case Study of Identity Work and the Reentry Process

Callais, Todd Michael
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1259356076

Abstract Details

2009, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Sociology.
This research explores the relationship between Citizen/Prisoner Alliance (CPA), a prisoner rights organization, and ex-offenders who affiliate with the group. My purpose in exploring this relationship is to determine what ex-offenders might gain from social movement participation. In addition, I examine how the structure of a specific social movement impacts the composition and trajectory of its members. I contend that there are numerous, undeniable effects of incarceration on ex-offenders; yet, the most difficult challenge faced during the reentry process involves ex-offenders making their own decisions and reintegrating into civilian communities. My research addresses the relative lack of literature on ex-offender identity work. An ex-offender who joins a social movement organization concerned with prisoner rights apparently: (a) has concerns about a lack of prisoner rights or a desire to see prisoner rights expanded; (b) experiences or identifies negative impacts as a result of her perception that the rights of prisoners and ex-offenders are incomplete; and (c) believes that joining the social movement will yield an advantage from which she will benefit. Based on three years of participant observation, forty-one in-depth interviews, and content analysis of CPA documents, I discuss the ways that CPA functions as a social movement and consider individual responses by ex-offenders to CPA membership, especially as these individual responses relate to stigma management and desistance from crime. I argue that membership in a group such as CPA is practiced and negotiated based on individual needs that are dictated by stigma management identity work as well as the individual’s placement in social structure. As constructed, CPA has governmental, individual, familial, and inter-organizational mandates, but fails to act on governmental and inter-organizational directives. Moreover, attaining the structural goals dictated at the organizational level of CPA is far less significant to most CPA members than: (a) positive and/or negative experiences gained from participating in the internal struggles; and (b) viable routes toward the use of positive and/or negative narratives and frames of the group in constructing an individual stigma management identity. I find that CPA membership fosters viable pathways to redemption for individuals who might lack these pathways if they were not members of the group. Most importantly, members who lack traditional means to discover viable redemption use CPA membership as a way to construct successful stigma management. In addition, I report on the comparative paths taken by members who succeed without CPA, fail with CPA, and fail without CPA. Directions for future research are suggested
Ruth Peterson, PhD (Committee Co-Chair)
Townsand Price-Spratlen, PhD (Committee Co-Chair)
Richard Lundman, PhD (Committee Member)
Tanya Erzin, PhD (Committee Member)
240 p.
Criminology; Social Psychology; Sociology
Stigma Managment; Stigma; Recidivism; Reentry; Social Movements

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Callais, T. M. (2009). Ex-Offenders, Stigma Management, and Social Movements: An Organizational Case Study of Identity Work and the Reentry Process [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1259356076

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Callais, Todd. Ex-Offenders, Stigma Management, and Social Movements: An Organizational Case Study of Identity Work and the Reentry Process. 2009. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1259356076.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Callais, Todd. "Ex-Offenders, Stigma Management, and Social Movements: An Organizational Case Study of Identity Work and the Reentry Process." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1259356076

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.