In Conversation with Dr. Caroline Parker (University College London), author of "Carceral Citizens: Labour and Confinement in Puerto Rico" (U. Chicago Press, 2025)

Dr. Caroline Parker (University College London) is a Lecturer of Anthropology of Professional Practice, Deputy Director of the Social Data Institute, and Founder of Learning in Prison.

 

Her recent book, Carceral Citizens: Labour and Confinement in Puerto Rico (U. Chicago Press, 2025), "offers an ethnographic portrait of therapeutic communities in Puerto Rico, the oldest colony in the Americas."

 

From the publisher's website: "As nonprofits nested within the carceral state, therapeutic communities serve as reeducation and recovery centers for the mostly male drug offenders who serve out their sentences engaged in manual labor and prayer. The most surprising aspect of these centers, however, is that their 'graduates' often remain long after the completion of their term, working as self-appointed peer counselors in a mixture of volunteer and low-wage positions.

 

"Parker seeks to explain this dynamic by showing how, in these therapeutic communities, criminalized men find new and meaningful ways of living in the shadow of the prison. Through their participation in the day-to-day functioning of the centers, they discover and cultivate alternative forms of belonging, livelihood, and citizenship, despite living within the restrictions of the carceral state. Situating her study against the backdrop of Puerto Rico’s colonial history, and with findings that extend across Latin America, Parker challenges common assumptions about confinement, labor, and rehabilitation. By delving into lives shaped by the convergence of imperialism, the carceral state, and self-help, she offers a fresh understanding of the transformations of labor and social life brought about by mass incarceration."

 

“A deep ethnographic and empathetic dive into the boredom—but hypersociality—of drug treatment and the second-class citizenship imposed by ongoing US colonization of Puerto Rico. Wonderfully accessible and amazingly erudite.” ― Philippe Bourgois, author of In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio

“Parker’s observations are insightful, her interpretations incisive, and her prose elegant and engaging, raising critical issues about the intersections among incarceration, confinement, belonging, and rehabilitation.” ― Jorge Duany, author of Puerto Rico: What Everyone Needs to Know

Thanks to Pfau Library, Project Rebound, and the Information Technology Services team for making this event possible! Series organizers (alphabetical) are Amber Broaden (CSUSB and CSU Dominguez Hills, Psychology), Stan Futch (President, Westside Action Group), Michael German (Brennan Center for Justice), Robie Madrigal (Pfau Library), Dr. Jeremy Murray (CSUSB History), Matt Patino (Crafton Hills College Adjunct Faculty), Dr. Mary Texeira (CSUSB Sociology). Click here to view previous panels in the Conversations on Race and Policing series (link). Thanks to Project Rebound and the CSUSB Pfau Library for their support of this event! Thanks to Thinh Ly, Parker Brooks, and the Information Technology Services team!