Islam and Community Building in Russian Prisons: Case Study of Uzbek Transnational Prisoners in Russian Penal Institutions

Announced by the University of Pittsburgh:

Russia has become one of the main migration hubs globally following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The vast majority of migrant workers come to Russia from Central Asian countries. These migratory processes led to a drastic increase in the number of Central Asian transnational prisoners in Russia’s penal institutions. Given the arbitrary law enforcement and precarities and uncertainties stemming from shadow economy employment, a considerable number of Central migrants end up in Russian prisons. However, despite the large presence of Central Asian transnational prisoners in Russian prisons, we know relatively little about how these processes have affected the power geometry within prisons, changing the relationship between the prison administration and prisoners, as well as between Russian traditional prison subcultures and transnational Muslim prisoners. With these considerations in mind, my presentation will discuss how the arrival of a large number of Central Asian Muslim prisoners shapes the traditional hierarchies and power relations in Russian penal institutions.

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