Ben Harbert’s “Soundscapes of Incarceration” is a multifaceted project that explores and analyzes the auditory environments of incarceration.
Drawing on audio recordings from the DC Jail, the project integrates interactive web-based content to offer users a guided sonic journey through the jail environment. Harbert’s goal is to present an “acoustemology” of the DC Jail—exploring ways of knowing through listening. He argues that incarceration compels prisoners to adopt new listening strategies in response to surveillance, potential violence, and restricted movement and visibility.
This project is collaborative, involving two formerly incarcerated men in a writing project and incorporating opportunities for students to engage with the sound recordings in the classroom. As part of this effort, Ben, along with Joel Castón and Michael Woody, is publishing a related chapter titled “Incarceration: A Listening Guide” in Sound & Detention: Towards Critical Listening, Sonic Citizenship, and Social Justice. The chapter examines how critical listening can deepen our understanding of incarceration and its connection to social justice, These sound recordings also serve as an experiential learning tool for students in MUSC 324: Music in US Prisons, enriching their comprehension of the sensory experiences and social conditions within the prison system. Ben incorporated these recordings into his curriculum, using Panopto to facilitate students’ analysis and reflection.
Reflecting on the benefits of the project, Ben noted, “I’d say the most beneficial thing for me was an awareness of what tools there were to organize, archive, tag. I feel like I understand better what digital humanities projects are. I thought I knew the tools that were out there to do this stuff and I certainly didn’t.” This newfound understanding also extended to his students, as he observed,
“I found that my students there had a very acute and different way of listening than I did. And they were listening to small sounds to glean information about everything from the mundane, what time it was because they weren’t allowed to have watches. But they’d be able to figure out what time it was, figure out whether someone was entering or leaving the space, figure out who was who was walking down the hall by the sound of the jingle or the keys.”
He also highlighted the value of ongoing discussions facilitated by the project, stating, “The DRI program opened up a channel for discussing teaching and tools in very concrete ways…I think the more sustained conversations instead of the emergency before classes start…to have check-ins and keep the conversations warm is very important.”
Additionally, Ben noted how the project fostered a deeper connection among colleagues:, “I feel like I know my colleagues’ research better than I know their teaching. So this was a wonderful way to actually see some of the projects that my colleagues have done.”
The Digital Research and Innovation (DRI) program is a partnership between CNDLS and Georgetown University Library.
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