New York has amended several state laws to remove the word “inmate” and replace it with “incarcerated person” to refer to people serving prison time.
, are intended to reduce the stigma of being in jail. Prison reform advocates have said the term “inmate” has a dehumanizing effect. Prisoners say it can feel degrading when jail guards refer to them as inmates, especially in front of their families during in-person visits., a Bronx Democrat who sponsored the bill. “This is another concrete step our state is taking to make our criminal justice system one that focuses on rehabilitation, rather than relying solely on punishment.
Last month, Hochul signed legislation replacing the term “mentally retarded,” or other variations, with “developmentally disabled” in state law. In 2018, the legislature passed a law replacing all instances of the words “fireman” or “policeman” with gender-neutral terms like “firefighter” or “police officer” in official documents and laws.
Michel DeGraff, a professor of linguistics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said, “word choice to describe certain individuals does matter. Especially when it comes to individuals who are vulnerable in any way.” DeGraff said language allows people to process the past and the present, and by changing words, “you help people better understand who they are and how they got to be where they are.”