In the Mix
Struggle and Survival in a Women's Prison
Published on 15. January 1998
Book
Hardback
232 pages
978-0-7914-3607-3 (ISBN)
Description
The first book-length treatment of the nature of prison culture among women in thirty years, "In the Mix" describes the prison culture in a large California prison, from the point of view of the women themselves. Based on three years of study, including participant-observation, in-depth interviews and surveys, this book describes the daily life of the prison from a variety of perspectives, with an emphasis on the gendered nature of its social organization, roles and normative frameworks.
The title, "In the Mix," describes the contours of prison culture and its themes of trouble, programming and relationships. Common themes, such as the impact of substance use, limited economic opportunity, patriarchy, survival on the streets and in the prison, thread through the individual chapters. Owen argues that prison culture for women is tied directly to the role of women in society as well as a dynamic social structure that is shaped by the conditions of women's lives in prison and in the "free world."
The title, "In the Mix," describes the contours of prison culture and its themes of trouble, programming and relationships. Common themes, such as the impact of substance use, limited economic opportunity, patriarchy, survival on the streets and in the prison, thread through the individual chapters. Owen argues that prison culture for women is tied directly to the role of women in society as well as a dynamic social structure that is shaped by the conditions of women's lives in prison and in the "free world."
Reviews / Votes
"This examination of current life and culture in a women's prison is timely given the dramatic increase in the number of women incarcerated in the U.S. over the past decade and significant in that it illuminates the many differences between the ways in which men and women 'do time.'" -- Tracy Huling, Criminal Justice Consultant"This work is an important contribution to the field of women/criminal justice and would be useful to academicians and also to those charged with the responsibility of designing policy responses to address the rising rates of female incarceration." -- Zelma W. Henriques, John Jay College, City University of New York
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Albany, NY
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
US School Grade: College Graduate Student and over
Illustrations
Total Illustrations: 0
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
227 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7914-3607-3 (9780791436073)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
01/1998
State University of New York Press
€36.49
Available for download
Person
Barbara Owen is Professor of Criminology at California State University-Fresno. She is the author of The Reproduction of Social Control: A Study of Prison Workers at San Quentin.
Content
An Introductory Note
Acknowledgments
1. In the Mix: Struggle and Survival in a Women's Prison
2. A Quasi-Ethnography of Women in Prison: An Overview of Methods
3. Pathways to Imprisonment: Women's Lives before Incarceration
4. Time and Place
5. Relationships Inside and Out
6. The Mix: The Culture of Imprisoned Women
Notes
Bibliography
Subject Index
Author Index
Acknowledgments
1. In the Mix: Struggle and Survival in a Women's Prison
2. A Quasi-Ethnography of Women in Prison: An Overview of Methods
3. Pathways to Imprisonment: Women's Lives before Incarceration
4. Time and Place
5. Relationships Inside and Out
6. The Mix: The Culture of Imprisoned Women
Notes
Bibliography
Subject Index
Author Index