Felony Denaturalization: Going Beyond Invisible Punishment

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Abstract

This interview-based article builds off of Jeremy Travis’ concept of “invisible punishments” and explores how these punishments impact the lives of women with felony convictions. By analyzing the effect of invisible punishments, I argue that respondents experience what I deem “felony denaturalization”: a term used to describe a violation of one’s civil rights due to being convicted of a felony. I explore instances of felony denaturalization in four spheres: violation of workplace rights, tenants’ rights, and reproductive rights, as well as an enforcement of traditional gender roles. By shifting the point of analysis to what occurs as a result of invisible punishments, it becomes more possible to ascertain the full extent to which having a felony conviction impacts the lives of respondents.

Author

• Erin Eife, University of Illinois at Chicago