Motherhood confined: Maternal health in English prisons, 1853-1955

by Rachel E. Bennett

Overview

When we imagine life behind the high walls of the fortress-like prisons that were built and modified as the modern prison system was created in the mid-nineteenth century, we conjure up scenes where strict regulation prevailed to control people in body and in mind. An image that poses something of a paradox is that of mothers and their babies living in this carceral environment. This book looks behind the cell doors of these institutions to illuminate the experiences of this group of prisoners. The management of their health alongside the management of penal discipline posed complex conundrums to the prison system. Although rarely fully considered at policy level, this balancing act was negotiated by those who lived and worked in prisons on a daily basis.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526166791
Publisher:	Manchester University Press
Publication date:	01/30/2024
Series:	Social Histories of Medicine , #54
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.43(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

Rachel Bennett is a history teacher and a historian of British crime and punishment

Table of Contents

List of figures
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations

Introduction
1 Contesting women’s health in the prison system
2 Maternity care in prison
3 Mothering in a carceral space
4 Born in prison: a heritage of woe?
Conclusion
Bibliography