Resistance Behind Bars : The Struggles Of Incarcerated Women

In 1974, women imprisoned at New York's maximum-security prison at Bedford Hills staged what is known as the August Rebellion. Protesting the brutal beating of a fellow prisoner, the women fought off guards, holding seven of them hostage, and took over sections of the prison. While many have heard of the 1971 Attica prison uprising, the August Rebellion remains relatively unknown even in activist circles. Resistance Behind Bars is determined to challenge and change such oversights. As it examines daily struggles against appalling prison conditions and injustices, Resistance documents both collective organizing and individual resistance among women incarcerated in the U.S. Emphasizing women's agency in resisting the conditions of their confinement through forming peer education groups, clandestinely arranging ways for children to visit mothers in distant prisons and raising public awareness about their lives, Resistance seeks to spark further discussion and research into the lives of incarcerated women and galvanize much-needed outside support for their struggles. Copyright 5 Contents 6 Introduction i 8 Overview 1 14 Unlikely Communities 19 32 Barriers to Basic Care 29 42 Mothers and Children 43 56 Sexual Abuse 59 72 Education 77 90 Women’s Work 97 110 Grievances, Lawsuits and the Power of the Media 111 124 Breaking the Silence 127 140 Resistance Among Women in Immigrant Detention 143 156 Some Historical Background 159 172 Glossary 171 184 Resources 175 188 Recommended Reading 189 202 Endnotes 201 214 Index 241 254 Acknowledgments 251 264 By Victoria Law. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 201-239) And Index.