Dr. John W. Borneman (Princeton University) will continue longitudinal ethnographic research on the uses of incarceration and therapy to treat perpetrators of specific classes of criminal offenses. One central research focus is how experts assess motivations and justify decisions regarding penalization and therapy. As public awareness and the law address a wider variety of social problems, it is important to understand the underlying logic and consequences of penalization, therapy, and rehabilitation.
The research is being conducted in Berlin, Germany, a site of innovation in the field of integrating incarceration and rehabilitation. The researcher employs a combination of social science methods including observation at group therapy sessions, analysis of cases, and pre- and post-therapy interviews. The research will contribute to social science theory through its innovative focus on the micro-processes that produce contemporary relations between law, personhood, and the state. Findings from this research also will provide a basis for future comparative work to inform public policy.
