Women prisoners and the drive for desistance : capital and responsibilization as a barrier to change

Hart, Emily Luise (2017) Women prisoners and the drive for desistance : capital and responsibilization as a barrier to change. Women and Criminal Justice, 27 (3). pp. 151-169. ISSN 0897-4454

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Abstract

There is a significant and growing volume of research into the way in which offenders desist from crime and their resettlement and reentry into society following a custodial sentence. As is too often the case in criminological research, women are underrepresented in these areas of investigation. This research aimed to investigate how women in the last 3 months of a prison sentence plan and prepare for their release. Using data generated from qualitative interviews with women prisoners and prison staff over a 13-month period in a closed women’s prison in England, this paper will argue that women prisoners have motivation and desire to desist from crime post-release, but their attempts to plan for release are hindered by a responsibilization discourse that runs throughout the institution and by a severe lack in all forms of capital (social, cultural, economic, and symbolic). This not only results in many women being released with little support in place to help them achieve their aims of a crime-free life in the future but also highlights the problems with a prison system based on male-centered knowledge.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Women and Criminal Justice
Additional Information:
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Women and Criminal Justice on 20/09/2016, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08974454.2016.1217814
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300/3318
Subjects:
?? desistancecapitalresponsibilizationresettlementwomen prisonersgender studieslaw ??
ID Code:
81778
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
27 Sep 2016 12:38
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
21 Mar 2024 00:42