Incarcerated Women : A History of Struggles, Oppression, and Resistance in American Prisons

"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." -- Publisher's description This Collection Examines The History Of The Experience Of Female Inmates In American Prisons From The Early Nineteenth Century To The Twenty-first Century. The Contributors Analyze Women's Efforts To Exert Agency And Control Over Their Bodies And Experiences, Issues Of Race And Class, And How Women's Experiences Differed From Those Of Male Inmates. -- Provided By Publisher. Secret Horrors: Enslaved Women And Children In The Louisiana State Penitentiary, 1833-1862 / Brett Josef Derbes -- In The Care Of The Supposed Powerful State: Womem And Children In The Virginia Penitentiary, 1800-1883 / Hilary L. Coulson -- Letters From Inside: Prison Writings From Eastern State Penitentiary In The Nineteenth Century / Erica Rhodes Hayden -- I Thought If I Got A Chance I Would Do It: Sexual Negotiation By Black Women Convicts In Texas, 1875-1915 / Theresa R. Jach -- I Beg For Your Mercy: The Business Of Black Women's Bodies In The Carceral State, 1880s-1960s / T. Dionne Bailey -- Discipline, Resistance, And Social Control At The Illinois State Reformatory For Women, 1930-1962 / L. Mara Dodge -- Making Mothers: Teaching The Virtues Of Motherhood At Westfield Reformatory, 1950s-1960s / Ilse Denisse Catalan -- It's A Way To Get Out Of Prison: Writing And Teaching In Women's Prisons / Breea C. Willingham. Edited By Erica Rhodes Hayden And Theresa R. Jach. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 165-174) And Index.