Book Review: Convict criminology for the future by Ross, Jeffrey Ian & Vianello, Francesca (Eds.)Young men’s experiences of long-term imprisonment: Living life by Tynan, Rachel Rose
| Published date | 01 December 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/26338076221141114 |
| Author | Kevin Walby |
| Date | 01 December 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
Book Review
Ross, Jeffrey Ian & Vianello, Francesca (Eds.), Convict criminology for the future.
London: Routledge, 2020; 248 pp. ISBN 9780367860158, $52.55 (pbk)
Tynan, Rachel Rose, Youn g me n’s experiences of long-term imprisonment: Living life.
London: Routledge, 2019; 186 pp. ISBN 9780367581978 186, $48.95 (pbk)
Reviewed by: Kevin Walby, University of Winnipeg, Canada
Comparing an edited volume and a book manuscript is difficult given the different intended
objectives and audiences for both works. However, it is somewhat easier to compare
Convict Criminology for the Future edited by Jeffrey Ian Ross and Francesca Vianello and
Young Men’s Experiences of Long-Term Imprisonment by Rachel Rose Tynan given that
both of these works try to portray or share the experiences of imprisonment and criminalisation
with an academic audience, albeit in different ways.
Convict criminology as an approach to critical criminology starts with the standpoint and the
experiences of convict criminologists who are formerly or currently imprisoned and crimina-
lised scholars. These are persons who have firsthand knowledge of criminalisation and impris-
onment. For Rachel Tynan, the way into this issue is phenomenology. Phenomenology
examines experience and consciousness in particular contexts, in this case a carceral context.
Another similarity of the two works is they are both empathetic and understanding of the
pains of incarceration and criminalisation. Not all works in criminology adopt this position
of empathetic understanding, far from it.
In Convict Criminology for the Future, Jeffrey Ian Ross and Francesca Vianello bring
together many long-standing and new figures in the realm of convict criminology. There are
16 chapters on a variety of topics. It is not possible to appraise every single chapter in this
short review. However, I will note some of the highlights as I see it.
In chapter three, Sinem Bozkurt and colleagues argue convict criminology must focus more
on marginalised voices, most notably women’s voices and mothers in prison (p. 22). Focusing
on identity and difference is a welcome addition to convict criminology as the approach to crit-
ical criminology adapts and expands. In chapter six, Grant Tietjen and Daniel Kavish argue
convict criminologists experience status fragility (meaning they experience precarity due to
stigma and criminal records) and are often stigmatised and stereotyped within the academy
(p. 70). Therefore, convict criminologists need to support one another, and critical scholars
need to support convict criminologists.
Scholars such as Francesca Vianello and Valeria Vegh Weiss argue convert criminology
needs to go international. In chapter eight, Vianello contends that a convict criminology per-
spective can be useful in the Italian context (p. 99). In chapter nine, Vegh Weiss argues
Journal of Criminology
2023, Vol. 56(4) 494–496
© The Author(s) 2022
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DOI: 10.1177/26338076221141114
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