A large proportion-and in many jurisdictions the majority-of incarcerated women are mothers. Popular attention is often paid to challenges faced by children of incarcerated mothers while incarcerated women themselves often do not "count" as mothers in mainstream discourse. This is the first anthology on incarcerated mothers' experiences that is primarily based on and reflects the Canadian context. It is also transnational in scope as it covers related issues from other countries around the world. These essays examine connections between mothering and incarceration, from analysis of the justice system and policies, criminalization of motherhood, to understanding experiences of mothers in prisons as presented in their own voices. They highlight structures and processes which shape and ascribe incarcerated woman's identity as a mother, juxtaposing it with scripted and imposed mainstream norms of a "good" or "real" mother. Moreover, these essays identify and track emergence of mothers' resistance and agency within and in spite of the confines of their circumstances.
"This text delves into themes woefully underrepresented in the field. The broad range of articles covered within these pages extends the conversation, probing the very meaning of punishment. The handling of motherhood and mothering behind bars in an international context makes for a vitally necessary text."
-Jennifer Ann Colanese, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Indiana University South Bend
"Incarcerated Mothers offers an all too rare look behind the walls of penal institutions in different countries. While raising a child in India may on the surface be quite different to raising a child in France, the experiences of mothers who are incarcerated are hauntingly similar. This book admirably balances the voices of academia with those of lived experiences. It may indeed be one of the first to demonstrate the intergenerational challenges that so often characterize the families and, above all, children touched by crime. From the perspective of prevention, examining the mother-child relationship is not new. Doing so with women convicted of a crime who are mothers first and foremost demands that we examine the shadow side of justice in an altogether novel way."
-Christiane Sadeler, Executive Director, Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Rebecca Jaremko Bromwich is a Part-Time Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law and Ph.D. Candidate at Carleton University. A lawyer in private practice for seven years before returning to the academic world, she has been a member of the Bar of Ontario since 2003 and has an Ll.M. and Ll.B. from from Queen's University. Rebecca also has a graduate certificate from the University of Cincinnati, where she taught as an adjunct professor in the Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She has also been an adjunct at the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law. Rebecca balances her professional work and scholarship with her role as mother to four amazing children.
Gordana Eljdupovic, Ph.D., C. Psych., is a clinical and forensic psychologist whose doctoral research focussed on incarcerated women's experiences of mothering. Upon completion of her doctoral degree, she worked with incarcerated women in a Canadian prison for a number of years. She feels immensely privileged, honoured and humbled by their trust. Dr. Eljdupovic has presented her work at a number of different local, regional, and international settings. She is currently an Associate Researcher with the Center for Community Research, Learning and Action (ccrla) at Wilfrid Laurier University, and she continues to work in areas where gender, policy, the justice system, and mental health concerns intersect. She is mother to two wonderful children: a daughter and a son.
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