Rethinking fieldwork and surveillance in carceral spaces: Reflections from research in Polish guarded detention centres for immigrants

The article explores the challenges of conducting ethnographic fieldwork in intensely surveilled carceral spaces, specifically Polish guarded detention centres for foreigners. It examines how institutional surveillance, including electronic monitoring, and direct observation and interrogative interactions, impact the researcher's position, positionality, data collection, and the establishment of trust with informants. The article builds on autoethnographic experiences of a young researcher to illustrate key difficulties, discussing surveillance not merely as an obstacle but as a powerful and inherent force, shaping fieldwork and collected data. It points out that there are important differences in how institutional surveillance affects young and senior researchers, outlining pitfalls as well as strategies for navigating the surveilled field.