Abstract

Hate does not always manifest as a sudden and shocking spectacle. Related to the US legal system and mass imprisonment, sometimes hate emerges as a slow, structural, legal process, (mis)represented as “equity” and “justice.” Carceral Hate and Kindness: The Power of Prison Performances intervenes into existing scholarly literature using the lenses of hate and kindness to examine mass incarceration and pow wows, boxing, rodeo, and yoga in carceral contexts, which serve the interests of detention centers and incarcerated people. Through dance performances, this project also reports back on research findings to community members and organizations. Often, US carceral violence is not framed as “hate,” but doing so challenges dominant mythologies that the legal system is just and incarcerated people are well fed and live a cushy life. In fact, imprisoned people are served rotten food, locked up in tiny cells for 23 hours a day, and/or go days without being outdoors. Such conditions are anything but “kind” and can cause health and behavioral issues. Conversely, illuminating acts of “kindness” that occur in prisons challenges stereotypes of incarcerated people as “scary,” “threatening,” and “savage” and offers possibilities for more life-sustaining and lifesaving interventions both within and outside of prisons.

Field

World Arts and Cultures/Dance

Extramural Partners

Louisiana Parole Project, Native American Council of Tribes, Ohana Ho’opakele (Family Rescue), Project Koa Yoga, Try Think Hawai’i, Women’s Community Correctional Center