Funding Success: £299.99k secured from the British Academy to explore ethical digital public histories of prisoners and the legacy of enslavement
The lives of formerly-enslaved people and their descendants remains largely hidden to researchers and the public. Researchers argue that the criminal justice system, which impacts disproportionally and disastrously on racially-minoritised men and women, produces data which enables us to reconstruct their lives in detail, particularly when innovative digital technologies are employed. By doing so, it sheds light on the historic transition from enslavement to criminalisation whose legacies persist today: African-Americans are still incarcerated at nearly five times the rate of white people.
This research, in collaboration with the University of Georgia (USA), has received £299.99k from the British Academy (UK), as part of the Knowledge Frontiers: International Interdisciplinary Research Projects fund, to explore ethical digital public histories of prisoners and the legacy of enslavement. The project, entitled ‘Ethical Digital Public Histories: Prisoners and the legacy of enslavement 1817-1970’, will run from April 2024 – April 2026.
This study, with Dr Katherine Roscoe, Department of Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology, as Principal Investigator, Professor Barry Godfrey, School of Law and Social Justice, and Assistant Professor Tracey Johnson, Department of History, University of Georgia, as Co-Investigators, will create a platform for interdisciplinary debate on the ethical dissemination of digitalised prison data. The research aims to humanise the incarcerated by utilising this prison data, spanning from 1817 to 1970 in relation to the Georgia Penitentiary, through innovative digital technologies.
Speaking of the funding award, Dr Katherine Roscoe, said:
“As an Early Career Researcher, this British Academy grant is a fantastic opportunity to develop experience leading a collaborative, international research project as a Principal Investigator. It builds on Liverpool’s links with the University of Georgia, to develop a multidisciplinary programme of research in humanities and social sciences. It forms part of the University of Liverpool’s longstanding commitment to researching slaveries past and present at the Centre of Study of International Slavery, telling the story of the transition from enslavement to criminalisation through ordinary people’s lives. The project is made possible thanks to the Library’s expertise and investment in digital technologies which enables us to bring archival material - and the lives of racially-minoritised men and women portrayed in them – to new global audiences.”
Professor Susan Pickard, Head of the Department of Sociology, Social Policy, and Criminology, said:
“To be granted this award is a testament to the supportive research environment we have built up in both the Department and the School in recent years, thanks to initiatives including the STAR programme and other mentoring and research development structures. This recognition underscores the urgency of addressing the disproportionate impact of the criminal justice system on marginalised communities. I extend my congratulations to Katy and Barry as they embark on this crucial research, which aims to shed light on the disparities in the criminal justice system and contribute to meaningful change.”