Love In The Time Of Captivity: Romance In The Lives Of Incarcerated Girls

• In Event: Research on Gender and Crime in School or Prison Settings

Abstract

The majority of girls in correctional or detention facilities in Hawaii are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Gender and culturally specific programs for these youth are limited yet much needed. 'Opio Haku Mo'olelo (OHM) is a creative literacy program that provides weekly writing workshops for incarcerated girls on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. My ongoing exploratory and qualitative study examines the writings produced by incarcerated girls who voluntarily participate in the OHM creative literacy workshops.

Romance is a prominent theme found in the girls’ writing suggesting that it plays a significant role in the lives of incarcerated girls. Scholars have argued that lower class and/or inner city girls view romance as an escape from troubled family lives and experience high levels of stress from romantic relationships (Rizzo et al. 2006; Jones 2009). Similar ideologies of romantic relationships are evident in the writings of institutionalized girls. What does romance mean for incarcerated girls? In what ways do patriarchal and colonial histories contribute to the conceptualization of romance for incarcerated girls in Hawaii? I argue that patriarchal notions contribute to the prominence of romance in the lives of incarcerated girls and can provide either social support or additional pain for incarcerated girls.

Author

• Sanna King, University of Hawaii at Manoa