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Imaginaries and contradictions of agriculture as rehab in the carceral state: a critical evaluation
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Alexander, Elizabeth Zoe. Imaginaries and contradictions of agriculture as rehab in the carceral state: a critical evaluation. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-za2p-k450

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TitleImaginaries and contradictions of agriculture as rehab in the carceral state: a critical evaluation
NameAlexander, Elizabeth Zoe (author); Rhiney, Kevon (chair); Leichenko, Robin (internal member); Gabriel, Nate (internal member); Rutgers University; School of Graduate Studies
Date Created2019
Other Date2019-05 (degree)
SubjectCritical human geography, Geography, Agricultural education -- United States, Criminals -- Rehabilitation -- United States
Extent1 online resource (v, 85 pages) : illustrations
DescriptionThis thesis examines discursive and material practices of coupling nature with redemption and rehabilitation in the carceral state through sustainability initiatives, particularly agriculture education programs. I explore scholarly and popular debates surrounding the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) and U.S. mass incarceration; sustainability and its ties to agrarianism; and the growing field of “green criminology” and carceral reform, or “carceral humanism” to suggest the significance of their intersections for how we imagine the work of carceral agriculture education programs. I then attempt to historicize literature demonstrating contradictions in the sustainability movement and mass incarceration by evaluating them through debates surrounding the Physiocrats, Thomas Jefferson, as well as commodity fetishism (specifically Henri Lefebvre’s specific reference to fetishizing nature) to explore the debates’ influences and significances, as well as how we might rely on these debates to think about the role of carceral agriculture education programs differently. I then examine four distinct carceral agriculture education programs, how their goals and methods differ or relate, as well as their use of and reliance on agriculture to achieve said goals. From there, I trace a longer history of agriculture at Rikers Island to show the contradictory history of agrarian imaginaries versus humanitarian crises at the New York City jail. Finally, I argue that the example of Rikers should encourage us to consider such programs in the context of reform projects more broadly, as well as look to some of the programs’ aspirations to consider how they can be taken up differently.
NoteM.A.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses, ETD graduate
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-za2p-k450
LanguageEnglish
CollectionSchool of Graduate Studies Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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