Drawing on research from around the world, this book brings together renowned international scholars to explore life-course perspectives on women's imprisonment and sheds light on the moderating effects of particular cultural contexts.
'This ambitious book provides a unique window into a complex yet largely under-researched topic - the lives of incarcerated women. The collection of papers offers both wide coverage and rich insights. The authors have captured the complexities of the diverse suite of vulnerabilities faced by incarcerated women, illustrating the many hurdles which impact upon further offending and victimization risks. The editors are to be commended for pulling off this substantial olume, which is a must-read for scholars, students, and practitioners with an interest in understanding victimization and offending across the life-course and, most importantly, the unique circumstances of incarcerated women.' - Paul Mazerolle, Professor of Criminology, Griffith University, Australia
'This much-needed book illuminates the lives of incarcerated women and offers new ways of thinking about risk and resilience. The chapters and the book as a whole fully reflect a life course perspective, highlighting that the women's challenges and vulnerabilities do not start or end with the incarceration experience itself.The result is a nuanced portrait that captures the play of gender against the broader landscape of particular structural and cultural contingencies, and recognizes the immediacy of the world of personal relationships (e.g., romantic partners, children, police) the women must continually navigate.' -Peggy C. Giordano, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology, Bowling Green State University, USA