Beyond Pink Paint: Gendered Geographies and Design for Incarcerated Women

• In Event: Norms, Culture and Conflict in American Prisons

Abstract

“Women are not just small men” (Dinom 2014). Yet, the corrections industry continues to ignore distinct pathways that push women into prison and their unique needs while incarcerated. Utilizing interviews with 27 incarcerated women and seven staff, this paper addresses women’s struggles within confinement based on men’s experiences. Our research demonstrates “dead time” as women grapple with incongruities between woman and prisoner, often resulting in a bifurcated consciousness (Smith 1987). Respondents report feeling “here but not;” “a mother but not;” neither present nor absent. Acknowledging that over 75% of incarcerated women suffer from abuse, trauma, and mental illness (BJS 2006), progressive prison design seeks to prevent further psychological deterioration, promote well-being, and encourage healthy interactions. European studies on prison design have found that positive design translates into less prisoner misconduct, fewer mental health problems, and better staff-inmate relationships (Jacobs 2014), but few studies in the U.S. have addressed gendered prison environments. However, two California facilities designed specifically for women provide examples of how gendered geographies may facilitate positive interactions and growth for incarcerated women. We apply Smith’s standpoint theory and principles of institutional ethnography to examine the relationship between individual prisoners’ experiences and the carceral structure that helps shape them.

Authors

• Sue L Williams, Kansas State University

• Edward LW Green, Roosevelt University

• Katrina M Lewis, Kansas State University