How has feminism attended to women in prisons? Have imprisoned women fallen through the gaps of feminist theorizing, funding, and advocacy? If so, how and why? This class attempts to answer these questions. This class will open with a brief introduction to leading theories and origins of punishment, particularly as it pertains to women. Attention is devoted to understanding the concept of state-sanctioned violence, where certain groups have historically experienced levels of colonized/racialized surveillance and targeted policing, a burden not experienced equally by society. Trends in the female imprisonment rate will be explored with an in-depth look at racial disparities among imprisoned women, disabled people, and people under the control of the criminal justice system (Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United States).

This is a NET paper, which means all class interactions will occur virtually. Please note that while there will be weekly lectures recorded via Panopto, the lecturer will plan special zoom meetings for a one-hour critical discussion session. In these sessions, students will be expected to respond to questions/prompts as a class. The weekly zoom sessions are designed to facilitate class discussion and critical engagement with assigned readings/documentaries/videos.