Statewide Prison Language Mandates: Where Intention and Implementation Diverge

Person-centered language has increasingly been adopted in criminal legal contexts. Recognizing the harmful effects of stigmatizing language, some states have mandated correctional staff to use person-centered language instead of “prisoner” or “inmate.” However, little is known about the implementation of these mandates. To address this, the current study utilized interviews with 87 incarcerated people and 15 staff members in two prisons in a state that recently adopted a mandate. The findings suggest that the mandate has not substantially altered the terminology used or treatment people receive. This research builds understanding of how language affects the carceral experience, highlighting its limitations when unaccompanied by culture change.