Incarcerated Women

A History of Struggles, Oppression, and Resistance in American Prisons

Contributions by Telisha Dionne Bailey, Ilse Denisse Catalan, Hilary L. Coulson, Brett Josef Derbes, L. Mara Dodge, Erica Rhodes Hayden, Theresa R. Jach, Breea C. Willingham Edited by Erica Rhodes Hayden, Theresa R. Jach

Not available to order

Publication date:

06 February 2017

Length of book:

202 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9781498542128

The story of the rise of prisons and development of prison systems in the United States has been studied extensively in scholarship, but the experiences of female inmates in these institutions have not received the same attention. Historically, women incarcerated in prison, jails, and reformatories accounted for a small number of inmates across the United States. Early on, they were often held in prisons alongside men and faced neglect, exploitation, and poor living conditions. Various attempts to reform them, ranging from moral instruction and education to domestic training, faced opposition at times from state officials, prison employees, and even male prison reformers. Due to the consistent small populations and relative neglect the women often faced, their experiences in prison have been understudied. This collection of essays seeks to recapture the perspective on women’s prison experience from a range of viewpoints.

This edited collection will explore the challenges women faced as inmates, their efforts to exert agency or control over their lives and bodies, how issues of race and social class influenced experiences, and how their experiences differed from that of male inmates. Contributions extend from the early nineteenth century into the twenty-first century to provide an opportunity to examine change over time with regards to female imprisonment. Furthermore, the chapters examine numerous geographic regions, allowing for readers to analyze how place and environment shapes the inmate experience.

Introduction, Erica Rhodes Hayden and Theresa R. Jach
Part I: Nineteenth-Century Prisons
Chapter 1: “Secret Horrors”: Enslaved Women and Children in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, 1833–1862, Brett Josef Derbes
Chapter 2: “In the Care of the Supposed Powerful State”: Women and Children in the Virginia Penitentiary, 1800–1883, Hilary L. Coulson
Chapter 3: “Letters from Inside: Prison Writings from Eastern State Penitentiary in the 19th Century,” Erica Rhodes Hayden
Part II: The Progressive Era
Chapter 4: “I thought if I got a chance I would do it”: Sexual Negotiation by Black Women Convicts in Texas, 1875–1915, Theresa R. Jach
Chapter 5: “I Beg for Your Mercy”: The Business of Black Women’s Bodies in the Carceral State, 1880s–1960s, Telisha Dionne Bailey
Part III: Twentieth-Century Experiences and Current Issues
Chapter 6: Discipline, Resistance, and Social Control at the Illinois State Reformatory for Women, 1930–62, L. Mara Dodge
Chapter 7: Making Mothers: Teaching the Virtues of Motherhood at Westfield Reformatory, 1950s–1960s, Ilse Denisse Catalan
Chapter 8: “It’s a Way to Get Out of Prison”: Writing and Teaching in Women’s Prisons,
Breea C. Willingham

The absolutely heartbreaking accounts of abuse and exploitation of women in prison are unforgettable. Incarcerated Women makes an important contribution to our understanding of how race, gender, and sexuality shaped punishment throughout US history.