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Outside the Walls of Silivri Prison
Abstract
In my paper, “Outside the Walls of Silivri Prison,” I argue that liminal carceral space is found beyond the boundaries of the prison. The concept of the “total institution” advanced by Irving Goffman (1961) offers a binary understanding of the institution, strictly inside or strictly outside, which does not account for the presence of transitional spaces, such as visiting areas or legal consultation spaces which evince the penetration of the outside within the prison’s walls. Comprised of elements of both penal and free spaces, these locations exist as liminal. In addition to this penetrating effect, it is useful to conceptualize the existence of this liminal carceral space as an extension of the prison outside. The shifting nature of space in Gezi Park and Taksim Square during the summer of 2013 display elements of this liminality, as do cases of political prisoners who maintain public presences (outside) during their periods of incarceration. Turkey, which currently has the world’s highest number of imprisoned journalists, is an important site for this line of research. I have chosen to examine the ongoing Odatv court case involving thirteen Turkish journalists, many of whom have resisted detention by continuing to publish books and articles during their time at Silivri Prison, in Istanbul; through the printed word they reach the outside, which suggests an element of porosity in the walls of the prison, and fluctuations in meaning of carceral spaces. Another aspect of this liminality is the extension of the prison to the outside through the establishment of an atmosphere intolerant of criticism of the state by journalists. The widespread imprisonment of journalists has changed the nature of the outside for “free” journalists, many of whom have lost their jobs (including a massive wave of firings since the beginning of the Gezi Park protests), been compelled to censor their work, or in some other way shared (on the outside) the carceral experiences of their colleagues. This conceptualizing of liminal space contributes to a wider discussion in the burgeoning subfield of Carceral Geography; specifically, I continue to critique the “total institution” which has been challenged by other geographers in recent years. The current policy of mass imprisonment of journalists in the case of Turkey also draws attention to the country’s endangered democratic press, an issue that has been highlighted during the past several months.
Discipline
Geography
Geographic Area
Turkey
Sub Area
Human Rights