ECR PRISON Blog
Insights, reflections and conversations from early career prison researchers and scholars around the world.
The ECR PRISON blog is a space for members of our international network to share work in progress, reflect on research practice, and connect with others in prison and carceral studies. Posts range from methodological notes and fieldwork reflections to conference reports, reading recommendations and accounts of life as an early career researcher.
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Last month, I attended the Carceral Geography Working Group’s 6th International Conference in Trier, Germany, expecting a typical four-stage talk and a bit of academic name-slinging. Instead, I found a space where half-formed ideas were welcome, and it changed the talk I gave. This post is about trading polished results for a problem I’m still…
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EuroCrim is the annual meeting of the European Society of Criminology and one of the largest gatherings of criminologists in Europe. This year, it was held in Warsaw from 9–12 September under the theme ‘Frontiers of Criminology’ – an invitation to examine the frontiers the discipline has already reached, those still ahead, and the lessons…
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When months of careful, trauma-informed recruitment design produced not a single participant, Avery was left facing the particular ache of an inbox that never fills. This piece is a reflection on what it means to hit n=0 while researching a population defined by silence and stigma – and an argument that recruitment “failure” in work…
Contribute to the blog
We welcome contributions from all ECR PRISON members, including doctoral researchers, postdoctoral scholars, early career academics and practitioners working in prison research, whatever your discipline, jurisdiction or career stage.
You might like to write about:
- your current research, findings or emerging questions
- methodological, ethical or reflexive challenges in carceral research
- a conference you attended or a paper you found valuable
- a book, article or resource you’d recommend
- experiences of early career life, mentoring or collaboration
- ideas for connecting prison researchers across countries and disciplines
Guidelines
- Posts are usually 600–1,000 words, written in an accessible style for an international, interdisciplinary audience.
- Please ensure that any research discussed has appropriate ethical approval, and protect the anonymity and dignity of research participants and people in prison.
- Include a short author bio (around 50 words) and, if you wish, links to your profile or website.
- Posts reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of the network.
- We may suggest light edits for clarity and length, and will always agree final changes with you before publishing.
Ready to submit? Send your draft or a short pitch (around 100 words) to IECPPRN@gmail.com. We aim to reply within two weeks.
A note on our values
The blog reflects ECR PRISON’s commitment to collaboration, inclusivity, integrity, community and impact. We particularly welcome contributions from underrepresented voices and from researchers working outside the Global North.