Soledad Women: Wives of Prisoners Speak Out

by Lori B. Girshick

Overview

Little attention has been paid to the lives led by families of prisoners. Using a feminist approach, the author explores how the lives of 25 wives of prisoners at Soledad prison are affected by the incarceration of their husbands. Relationships, stigma, coping, finances, children, the prison system, and rehabilitation are explored through in-depth interviews. This study describes the experiences of the wives and seeks to connect their experiences to a conceptual framework that explores the context of sex, race, and class inequalities. The author discusses prison policy recommendations to improve the lot of prisoners' families, emphasizing the ways in which life is organized in families where the husband/father is imprisoned. Several themes emerge in this work. The powerful role of the wife, women as caretakers, and the subordinate position these women hold in society due to their sex, class, and race, are some examples. Recommendations are made to ease the burden of visiting, and encourage maintenance of family roles.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275954093
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/21/1996
Series:	Contributions in Philosophy; 56
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	1070L (what's this?)

About the Author

LORI B. GIRSHICK is on the faculty of Warren Wilson College, where she teaches sociology and women's studies courses. She has experience in the domestic violence field and has worked in an agency providing services to people with HIV. Dr. Girshick's work has appeared in The Prison Jourbanal, Reproductive Health Resources, Violence Update, Policy Studies Jourbanal, and Policy Issues for the Elderly Poor.

Table of Contents

Prologue: I Leave in the Dark of Morning
Introduction
Why Study Wives of Prisoners?
Families and Incarceration
Data
Living with Secrets
Relationship Realities
Family Finances
Visiting at the Prison
Dealing with the System
The Role of the Family
Conclusion
Prison Policy and Recommendations
Wives as Caretakers: There's More to It than That
Appendix A: Questionnaire
Appendix B: Follow-up Survey Summary
Appendix C: The Author on Her Research Experience
References

Editorial Reviews

Girshick (sociology and women's studies, Warren Wilson College) examines the experiences of the wives of incarcerated men based on in-depth interviews with 25 prisoners' wives. Issues covered include the women's experience of living with secrets, relationship realities, finances, visiting, dealing with the system, and the role of the family as well as a concluding section providing policy recommendations and research data. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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