Stories of Convicted Women: Confronting Policy, Disrupting Discourse, and Dismantling Stigma

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

Panelists are authors of four recent books that demonstrate how policies, discourse, and stigma shape a reality in which women in the criminal legal system encounter systemic barriers at every turn. Each author will present at least one woman's story, offering the audience a window into the lived experiences of convicted and system-impacted women as they navigate daily life. The women lived in diverse communities and experienced various forms of carceral control, but shared huge obstacles and remarkable resilience in shaping their lives. After the stories are presented, there will be a discussion among panelists and audience members on implications for policy, programming, and social justice.

Sub Unit

• Area II. Perspectives on Crime / 10. Feminist Perspectives

Individual Presentations

• Recovering Identity: Criminalized Women's Fight for Dignity and Freedom - Chez Rumpf, University of Illinois Chicago

• Invisible Mothers: Unseen Yet Hypervisible After Incarceration - Janet Garcia-Hallett, University of New Haven

• Intersecting Lives: How Place Shapes Reentry - Andrea Leverentz, North Carolina State University

• In a Box: Gender Responsive Reform, Mass Community Supervision, and Neoliberal Policies - Merry Morash, Michigan State University

Chair

• Merry Morash, Michigan State University