Date Thesis Awarded

5-2024

Access Type

Honors Thesis -- Open Access

Degree Name

Bachelors of Arts (BA)

Department

Government

Advisor

Mackenzie Israel-Trummel

Committee Members

Christine Nemacheck

Nicole Dressler

Abstract

Carceral contact and childhood socialization matters, but we know little about how early encounters with carcerality mold political socialization. In this study, I examine a) if juvenile detention is a socializing agent, and b) how juvenile incarceration can shape political engagement and participation. I find that those incarcerated in their youth were less likely to be politically engaged but more likely to have negative feelings towards the criminal justice system compared to those first incarcerated as adults. Through semi-structured interviews of 8 people first incarcerated in their youth and 7 people first incarcerated in adulthood from Virginia, this paper analyzes removal from socializing agents like families and schools and juvenile detention’s influence. This study implies that juvenile detention can be a non-restorative institution and calls for a focus on civic healing for youth who have learned to be politically disengaged.

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