Building Capital: Media Access and Control in Prison
Building Capital: Media Access and Control in Prison
Grace W. Barnett (Grady MA graduate) and Karin Assmann (2026). “Building Capital: Media Access and Control in Prison,” Journal of Communication Inquiry.
https://doi.org/10.1177/01968599261469196Abstract: Incarceration means more than physical isolation; it disconnects prisoners from society, culture, and community. In U.S. prisons, access to media is shaped both by institutional structures and informal social processes. Although state and federal regulators set regulations, wardens have broad discretionary power and often use media access as a tool for reward or punishment. Media use and access in prisons becomes a form of currency that affects status, relationships, and perceived legitimacy within prison life. Through in-depth interviews with 26 individuals formerly incarcerated in Georgia, we examine how access to media resources defines and distributes power in closed and surveilled environments.
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