Year: 2020
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis reports on an ethnography of The Clink restaurant in Cardiff, Wales. The \nClink is no ordinary restaurant; it is a rehabilitative programme for serving prisoners. \nBased on a year’s observation of participants and interviews, the thesis contributes to \nthe ethnographic body of writing found within criminology and, in particular, adds to the \nfew qualitative studies investigating employment programmes for prisoners. With limited \nresearch conducted on The Clink site, the thesis provides a close observational account \nof what life is actually like for individuals undertaking an innovative work-based \nrehabilitative programme. \n \nInitially, the thesis moves the reader to the start of The Clink process by revealing the \nreasons why individuals chose to join the programme, including motivations that could \nbe linked to any prison job and reasons that were unique to The Clink programme. In \nwhat follows, I explore the realities of restaurant life by touching on issues that any \nrestaurant employee would encounter. In addition, the thesis shows that participants had \nto manage a further layer of difficulties. I continue by drawing on a consideration of the \nwider and official Clink agenda, showing that The Clink achieves most of its aims and \nmoves beyond them, but also that the formal version of The Clink needs nuance. \n \nThe thesis argues that whilst The Clink does break down some of the barriers to \nsuccessful resettlement and does prepare participants for release, its process is not an \neasy one. The unique quasi-open conditions create intentional and unintentional \nobstacles for those passing through. Those on the programme had to deal with the \nchallenge of working in one of the top restaurants in Cardiff, whilst still serving their time \nwithin the ‘invisible walls’. These challenges included the location of the restaurant, pains \nof imprisonment and ‘freedom’, penal power operating within The Clink and having to \nmanage their identity during interactions with the public. As a result, those on the \nprogramme found it difficult (and perhaps were not supposed to) forget that they were \nstill serving their time. They had to negotiate constantly between being outside, whilst \nstill inside. Yet, these obstacles extend beyond The Clink. The study concludes by \narguing that, as it stands, The Clink prepares individuals for life in the community as an \n‘ex-offender’.
Author: A. B. Graham
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3151267862