Gendered prisons, relationships and resettlement policies; three reasons for caution for imprisoned mothers

Abstract

Drawing on the lived experiences and perceptions of five imprisoned mothers, this article critically explores female prisons, relationships and resettlement policies in England and Wales. The findings indicate how the infusing of gendered, informal social controls into penal interventions and penal policy has the potential to harm mothers. This is why three reasons for caution are proposed in relation to ‘structural obstacles’, ‘continued exposure to abuse’ and ‘ascribed reputations’. With these challenges, the mother’s aspirations for a crime- and drug-free future may be thwarted. Therefore, by showing the complex and dynamic set of circumstances that mothers in prison must navigate, more clearly, the need for a nuanced approach for working with women can be appreciated.

Using techniques of neutralisation to maintain contact: The experiences of loved ones supporting remand prisoners

“…Given the number of people remanded in England and Wales, many thousands of families and other close individuals have direct experience of this form of incredibly punitive detainment (Masson, 2019) whose relationships, perspectives and treatment have not received appropriate research or policy attention to date. This is despite an increased national (Booth, 2020b; Codd, 2008; Condry, 2007; Jardine, 2019; Kotova, 2020; Masson, 2019; Masson, Baldwin & Booth, 2021) and international (Chui & Yeung, 2016; Condry & Smith, 2018; Travis & Waul, 2003; Woodward, 2010) interest in the wider, familial consequences of imprisonment, and policy interest in prisoners’ family ties in England and Wales (Farmer, 2017, 2019). Responding to this gap, the FOR study sought to examine the familial experiences of remand, and the specific challenges and concerns related to these uncertain times.…”

“…Families are often talked about in terms of how they can help those in prison, ‘or the role families can play’ (Farmer, 2017, p.4), rather than with consideration of their needs. The links between maintaining family ties and resettlement outcomes occupy an ideological stronghold despite continued criticism by academics of this instrumental approach (see Booth, 2021; Codd, 2008; Jardine, 2017). The focus of this article is on the experiences of ‘loved ones’ 1 2 (Masson & Booth 2018) of remand prisoners who are separated from a close person through imprisonment, which is an area that has received little attention to date.…”

Feminist Ethics and Research with Women in Prison

“…Researchers' studying women in prison generally highlight their often extreme vulnerabilities related to the troubled and distinct characteristics, life histories, and circumstances that imprisoned women frequently report. These challenges are well documented in the literature (Baldwin, 2015(Baldwin, , 2018Booth, 2021;Corston, 2007;Masson et al, 2021;Quinlan, 2003Quinlan, , 2011Quinlan, , 2016Quinlan, , 2019Wright, 2017). These authors and others have studied and attempted to understand and explain the traumas that very many, if not most, women bring to prison.…”

“…Researchers working with women in prison generally highlight the often extreme vulnerabilities of women in prison, and the troubled and distinct characteristics, life histories, and circumstances that imprisoned women frequently report. These challenges are well documented in the literature (Corston, 2007;Quinlan, 2003Quinlan, , 2011Quinlan, , 2016Quinlan, , 2019Baldwin, 2015Baldwin, , 2018Masson et al, 2021;Booth, 2021). These authors and many more have studied and attempted to understand and explain the traumas that very many, if not most, women bring with them into prison, experiences that they must try to deal with or accept and live throughout their term of incarceration.…”

‘A whole new world …’: Exploring transcarceral habitus and women's transition from a closed to an open prison

“…(Tamsin, HMP Open) Tamsin's reluctant acceptance was common and demonstrated a sombre expectation of the precarious and controlled nature of family contact. While the advantages of maintaining family ties are significant (Baldwin, 2021;Booth, 2021), it is important to acknowledge the dual realities of women's experiences in the open prison and the interaction and connections between them. In these accounts, this process operated with plurality, both as an experience that provoked great happiness, and a painful and destabilising cycle.…”