'An important contribution to interactional studies, Prison Discourse demonstrates thorough and enlightening ways of interpreting the social control in prisons. Andrea Mayr closely examines written texts and classroom discussions, noting the word choices, phrase selections, modalities, and interactive moves among inmates and officers.' Patricia E. O'Connor, Associate Professor, Georgetown University

With unique and powerful data from within a big city prison, this book clarifies the role that conversational analysis can have within a Critical Discourse Analysis perspective. In a detailed linguistic analysis of the language use of prison officers and prisoners involved in a prison based course, the author charts the shifting power relations of control and resistance and situates the findings in a broader sociological analysis of the prison as an institution. The study will interest sociolinguists, discourse analysts, and researchers in communication studies, criminology and counselling.

Contents Introduction Research Context, Methods and Data Collection Critical Discourse Analysis and the Language of Social Control Critical Discourse Analysis and the Study of Officer-Inmate Interaction: Social Control in Action Resisting and Acquiescing in Social Control Conclusions Appendix I Appendix II Bibliography Index