Did COVID-19 Affect News Media Representations of Prisons, Inmates, and Correctional Officers? A Look Prior and Postpandemic

Abstract

This study examines news media representations of Canadian prisons pre and post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Of interest was how media framed coverage of punishment and prisons with respect to discrete, event-driven traditional myths (prisons are dangerous, inmates are violent, correctional officers are cruel) versus more systemic, reform-oriented stories (more rehabilitation needed, racialized peoples over-represented, prison conditions harsh). In a pre-post COVID-19 content analysis of 182 stories, prison articles actually declined. Some traditional prison myths were still present and reinforced, but other myths were challenged and some were rarely seen. Discussions of prison reform were also frequently observed and grew during the pandemic.