This research project explores the complex and often hidden dynamics of power and identity within prison environments. We focus especially on inmate-to-inmate interactions, examining roles such as Protectors, Targets, Aggressors, Coercers, and those who navigate multiple identities. Our goal is to develop a more nuanced understanding of how social systems operate in confined spaces, and how individuals adapt, influence, and resist within those systems.
We welcome input from people with lived experience, especially those willing to speak openly about forms of violence, coercion, and social adaptation in prison.
We do not work for any federal, state, or correctional agency. This is an independent academic research project, and anything you choose to share with us will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. We are not here to judge. Whether you consider yourself dominant, aggressor, willing, vulnerable, or something in between, your experiences matter to us. That includes those who have used force, pressure, or manipulation—those who have coerced others into submitting to their will and power—as well as those who have chosen to engage in relationships willingly, even under complex or difficult conditions.
We are also interested in hearing from those who have acted as aggressors or attackers to establish dominance, extract compliance, or use extortion—whether for protection, resources, or reputation. These perspectives are crucial to understanding how power functions inside.
If you have or had a partner (willing or unwilling) while incarcerated - whether you identify as straight, bisexual, pansexual, or as a member of the LGBTQ community - we welcome your voice. We recognize that relationships in prison are rarely simple, and we are committed to understanding them without assumptions or bias.
We offer modest financial contributions or canteen support to thank individuals for their time and effort in contributing to this work.
If you are currently incarcerated or have been in the past and would like to participate, or if you represent someone who may wish to share their experience, please contact us at:
Our focus is primarily on inmate-to-inmate dynamics. While systemic and staff-related abuse is important, we concentrate on the internal prison social order—where bonds, roles, coercion, and adaptation unfold daily. These topics include:
We use the following categories to describe inmate roles and interactions without judgmental language:
Corresponding roles we refer to include:
We are especially interested in detailed, firsthand accounts. Stories help uncover psychological and structural patterns that data alone cannot reveal. Please avoid real names and use non-identifying descriptions such as "older black guys" or "young white guy from Texas". If you decide to use nicknames, please ensure they are not easily identifiable by staff or other inmates. We ask that you modify nicknames in a way that makes them harder to trace, while still making sense to you. For example, instead of using "Tank", you could use something like "TK" — something subtle enough to keep the identity less obvious to others. Stories must be based on your own experience or something you directly witnessed.
If you are willing to introduce our project to others, we encourage it—but only if you feel safe doing so. If you pass along our contact, please emphasize that participants should contact us directly. Peer-to-peer relaying of answers introduces bias, especially among individuals within the same housing unit or group. Please also let others know that we never judge anyone and that anything shared with us will be treated with strict confidentiality. We welcome voices from all perspectives—whether someone is or was a gang member, dominant, willing, unwilling, vulnerable, or aggressive. Every lived experience matters, and all are treated with non-judgmental respect.