When Military Uniforms Change into Prison Uniforms: Military Prison Incarceration Among Ethiopian Soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces

Abstract

In contrast with studies examining the incarceration experience in civil prisons, there is a lack of literature and theory focusing on the military prison incarceration experience. The present retrospective qualitative study explored the experience of 27 Ethiopian-Israelis, an overrepresented population in Israeli military prison, incarcerated during their military service due to desertion offenses. Two main themes developed from the interviews: (a) the military prison as a tool to achieve personal goals and (b) Self-perception as victims of the system. Findings suggest that military prison incarceration may be a different experience to that of civilian incarceration, at times lacking the negative psychological described in literature on civil incarceration. On a theoretical level, results suggest that the incarceration experience may not be universal but, rather, dependent on the social and cultural context and meaning of the incarceration for the individual involved.

Giving Them a Choice: Qualitative Research Participants Chosen Pseudonyms as a Reflection of Self-Identity

“…This study was part of a larger research project examining Ethiopian emerging adults in the context of their military service, their risk factors, and resilience resources leading them to drop out or finish full military service (Itzik, 2022;Itzik & Walsh, 2023). Thirty-six Ethiopian Israelis (15 women and 21 men), aged 21 to 26, participated in the study.…”