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(Doing) Time Is Money: Confinement, Prison Work and the Reproduction of Carceral Capitalism

Author

Listed:
  • Jenna Pandeli

    (UWE Bristol, UK)

  • Richard Longman

    (The Open University, UK)

Abstract

This article examines how prison work functions as a site where neoliberal and carceral capitalist logics are reproduced across individual, organisational and societal levels. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in a private UK prison, we argue that confinement exacerbates prisoners’ obsession with money and predatory entrepreneurialism, reflecting and reinforcing the broader dynamics of carceral capitalism at each level. By analysing these interconnected dynamics, we demonstrate how incarceration perpetuates these logics. Furthermore, we illustrate how prison work perpetuates neoliberal exploitation, surveillance and control, hindering rehabilitation and societal reintegration. Our analysis underscores the need for a comprehensive reassessment of the Prison Industrial Complex. We conclude that rather than viewing prisoners as a captive audience for reproducing carceral capitalism, prisons should be reimagined to prioritise the humanity of those impacted by the criminal justice system and to create alternative models of accountability and social transformation.

Suggested Citation

  • Jenna Pandeli & Richard Longman, 2025. "(Doing) Time Is Money: Confinement, Prison Work and the Reproduction of Carceral Capitalism," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 39(3), pages 727-747, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:39:y:2025:i:3:p:727-747
    DOI: 10.1177/09500170241292947
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