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The History and Lasting Impacts of
Colonialism on Modern Containment
Around the World
Kian Stewart
21055887
seminar group (Thursdays, 12PM,
Bundoora)
Tasha Graham
Question Prompt
Today, modern containment is a global phenomenon. What role has
colonisation played in the globalisation of modern containment? Discuss
the lasting impacts
WORD COUNT: 1156
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Colonisation is the process of changing one’s territory Ideological, Economical
and Societal structure Buntman (2019, p.215), one of the main methods used by the
colonialist to conqueror the land is through containment of political rivals and colonial
oppositions of the area being conquered. In present times, Dr Sue Davis defines modern
containment as the coercion and isolation of specific individuals’ trough an institutionalised
regime (Davis 2021).In this Discussion, we will be addressing how the history of colonisation
in many countries has greatly affected how the world views modern containment around the
world. Postcolonialism would also heavily influence the prisons systems and people of those
who are living in post-colonial areas and lastly, the cultural implications of post-colonial
media.
Prisons in Europe was filled with savagery before the enlightenment project,
which had led to the first claim of modern containment. Gibson (2011) states how in the
context of early eighteenth-century European prisons had focused more on punishment and
deterrence, many European prisoners had faced harsh conditions such as the unsanitary
environments rife with diseases and death. Gibson (2011) also recounts the writings of
Foucault stating how “The Napoleonic code of justice” enabled many cruel punishments for
crimes such as public executions Gibson (2011, pp.1040-1042). This was intended to be a
show of Monarchical justice by the French government Gibson (2011, pp.1040-1042), but
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eventually, there was a transition of justice that focused more on rehabilitation than
punishment which was known as the Enlightenment project Gibson (2011). During this
period there was a shift in power as justice became more decentralised and containment of
criminals was more relied on institutions instead of a Monarchical power Gibson (2011, p.
1042), which arose from it the first forms of “modern prisons”. Gibson (2011) would also
state how Jeremy Bentham would design the “rehabilitation Prison” known as the
Panopticon. This is early evidence on how the first-ever form of modern containment was
conceptualised and yet despite Colonization in different countries show resemblance to old
European style containment instead of the Enlightenment Project.
The history and intended purpose to set laws to enable containment in colonial
territories have brought many calamities to its local citizens. When the colonizers first arrived
in Africa, they had imposed their own sets of laws to follow in society. Yet these sets of laws
that have been laid down on the local indigenous tribes of African was not to protect them but
to enable an advantage over them. Buntman (2019) states how “laws was mostly a cover for
Colonial predation”, the laws enabled the exploitation, oppression, and abuse of its local
inhabitants Buntman (2019, pp.216-217). Sarkin (2008) stated how Imprisonment and
punishment did not take root in Africa till the 1800s when the Atlantic Slave Trade was
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founded, but when it did containment was used as a form of exploitation and cheap labour.
Also, the European colonisers utilised Containment was as a form way to assert racial
superiority Sarkin (2008, pp.24-25). Another example of Colonial containment was in the
account of Jewkes and Bennett (2016) writing in the French Colonial occupation of Vietnam,
In which they described how the prisons would have to go through abuses, forced labour and
would be dealing with staff that were incompetent to deal with the prisoners due to the lack
of training Jewkes & Bennett (2016, p 443). This would indicate to us how the history of
colonisation and its laws surrounding it would be utilised to contain political oppositions as
the colonisers viewed many of its concurred citizens as “Sub-humans” Buntman (2019), the
history of colonial containment would inevitably reflect on many methods of modern
containment in the future.
The impacts of modern containment due to colonial influences can be seen in many
prison systems around the world. One such impacts are how many prisons systems still
approach crime and lawbreakers. Jacobson (2005) argued on how the USA still follows a
more old-style approach to justice (Punishment, as previously discussed), The Judicial system
in the United States focuses on locking up lawbreakers instead of following Foucault’s
approach of rehabilitation, this has led to 1.5 million children having one fewer parent due to
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them being incarcerated Jacobson (2005, p.47). Furthermore, Jacobson also noted how the
“unintended consequences” of mass incarceration of these parents had indirectly led many
children to be parentless, forcing the children to go into foster homes in which indirectly
increases the rates of juvenile crime Jacobson (2005, p.45). Another example of how modern
containment is influenced by pre-colonial factors stem from Australia; Ryan Nicole (2019)
had noted how many indigenous individuals are more prone to higher rates of recidivism
(Reoffending after being released) due to prison life experiences. Nicole (2019) stated how
indigenous individuals lack the protective factors that reduce recidivism, some protective
factors such as a social circle or access to psychological help for their mental wellbeing
Nicole (2019, pp. 188-208), thus leaving many Indigenous individuals vulnerable to face a
colonial-style approach of modern containment. Both these examples come from previously
known European colonial states, the United States and Australia still has many post-colonial
kinds of cultures lurking in their respected legal systems as both still seem to have
reminiscences of the old approach to justice in which focuses less on rehabilitation instead
more on punishment, thus leading to a negative impact the cultures of modern containment.
Since we have addressed how modern containment is heavily influenced by the history of
colonialism and how it still has impacted many of the legal systems in our world, I would like
to investigate the cultural implications of Colonialism on our media. Specifically, Kelly
(2012) research on National Geographic’s show “Locked Up Abroad”. This show follows
Individuals who are mainly European Descendants who experience being locked up abroad
Kelly (2012, pp 335-337), As Kelly (2012) and I share the same opinion on the bigotry on
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how this show composite consists of following the plot of ‘ Western Victimhood’ Kelly
(2012, p.337). This is an example of how Colonialism is greatly embedded into our media
that millions of people watch. I find this a hypocrisy as many of the individuals in the show
are locked up in old-colonial states and they would describe their experiences as being
“horrible and traumatising”, yet not understanding it was their own culture that indirectly led
them to have those prison experiences.
In conclusion, we have addressed how the birth of modern containment was born under
colonial influences and yet there is a lack of application when it came to an individual who
was not of European descendants, furthermore, we also had investigated a few examples of
how Post-colonial modern containment has greatly affected the individuals who experience
incarceration in the 21st century and following the detrimental effect, it has in our broader
society and lastly, following the reading of Kelly to identify the hypocrisy of many western
media and how this follows a ‘western victimhood’ type of plot in which I find is full of
hypocrisy.
Note to Marker: My apologies for inputting my opinion onto this essay but I have never been
so angered after discovering this sort of bigotry in my life. Have a good one and stay blessed
on the holidays 😊
References
RED= PDC reading
Black= Personal research
(1) Prison and Law, Repression and Resistance: Colonialism and Beyond
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Buntman, F., 2019. Prison and Law, Repression and Resistance: Colonialism and
Beyond. Journal of imperial and Commonwealth history, 47(2), pp.213–246.
(2) Global Perspectives on the Birth of the Prison (PDC Reading)
Gibson, M., 2011. Global Perspectives on the Birth of the Prison. The American historical
review, 116(4), pp.1040–1063.
(3) Prisons in Africa: an evaluation from a human rights perspective (PDC Reading)
Sarkin, J. (2008). Prisons in Africa: An Assessment from a Human Rights Perspective. Sur.
International Journal on Human Rights, [online] 5(9), pp.22–51.
(4) Chapter 25: Asian Prisons: Colonial pasts, neo-liberal futures and subversive sites in - Handbook on Prisons (PDC Reading)
Jewkes, Y, Crewe, B, & Bennett, J (eds) 2016, Handbook on Prisons, Taylor & Francis
Group, London. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central.
(5) Downsizing Prisons : How to Reduce Crime and End Mass Incarceration Jacobson, M.,
2005. Downsizing prisons how to reduce crime and end mass incarceration, New York and
London: New York University Press.
(6) Prison Life and Prior Social Experiences: Understanding their Importance for
Indigenous Peoples’ Re-entry Outcomes Ryan, Nicole et al., 2019. Prison Life and Prior
Social Experiences: Understanding their Importance for Indigenous Peoples’ Re-entry
Outcomes. British journal of criminology, 59(1), pp.188–208.
(7) Neocolonialism and the Global Prison in National Geographic's Locked Up Abroad
Kelly, C., 2012. Neocolonialism and the Global Prison in National Geographic's Locked Up
Abroad. Critical studies in media communication, 29(4), pp.331–347.
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