Representations of Capital Punishment in Canadian Penal History Museums

Abstract

Execution has been described as the pinnacle of punitiveness, both in centuries past and today as part of the rise of what is called the “punitive turn” (see Carrier 2010 for an overview and critique of the concept). While representations of this malicious practice in popular culture have been the focus of criminological and criminal justice research in the United States (e.g. Lynch 2000, 2002) and elsewhere (Carrabine 2011; Bourgon 2003), little research exists on this phenomenon in Canada. To address this gap in existing literature, we explore representations of executions in penitentiary, prison and jail museums across Canada. Museums are places where the past is depicted, where memories are created, and where culture and history are assembled (Bennett 1997, 2005). The stakes are high with such representations since they can legitimate certain social practices and offer skewed versions of history (Ott et al. 2011).