Punishment in Disguise: Penal Governance and Federal Imprisonment of Women in Canada PDF
Preview Punishment in Disguise: Penal Governance and Federal Imprisonment of Women in Canada
PUNISHMENT IN DISGUISE PENAL GOVERNANCE AND FEDERAL IMPRISONMENT OF WOMEN IN CANADA In Punishment in Disguise, Kelly Hannah-Moffat presents a look at some current forms of penal governance in Canadian federal women's pris- ons. Hannah-Moffat uses women's imprisonment to theorize the com- plexity of penal power and to show how the meaning and content of women's penal governance changes over time, how penal reform strategies intersect and evolve into complex patterns of governing, how governing is always gendered and racialized, and how expert, non-expert, and hybrid forms of power and knowledge inform penal strategies. The author posits that although there has been a series of distinct phases in the imprisonment of women, the prison system itself, given its primary functions of custody and punishment, is consistent in thwart- ing attempts at progressive reform. While each distinct phase has its own corresponding ideology and discourse, the individual discourses have internal complexities and contradictions that have not been ad- equately recognized in the general literature on penology. Avoiding universal and reductionist claims about women's oppres- sion, Hannah-Moffat argues that relations of power are complex and fractured and that there is a need to explore the specific elements of institutional power relations. Backed by solid research, Punishment in Disguise makes a strong contribution to criminology and feminist theory by providing an alternative approach to analysing the governance of women by other women and by the state. KELLY HANNAH-MOFFAT is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto. This page intentionally left blank Punishment in Disguise: Penal Governance and Federal Imprisonment of Women in Canada KELLY HANNAH-MOFFAT UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS Toronto Buffalo London www.utppublishing.com © University of Toronto Press Incorporated 2001 Toronto Buffalo London Printed in Canada ISBN 0-8020-4690-8 (cloth) ISBN 0-8020-8274-2 (paper) @* Printed on acid-free paper Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Hannah-Moffat, Kelly, 1967- Punishment in disguise : penal governance and federal imprisonment of women in Canada Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8020-4690-8 (bound) ISBN 0-8020-8274-2 (pbk.) 1. Reformatories for women - Canada - History. 2. Women prisoners - Canada - History. 3. Female offenders - Rehabilitation - Canada - History. I. Title. HV9507.H36 2001 365'.43'0971 COO-931944-1 This book has been published with the help of a grant from the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada, using funds provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial assistance to its publishing program of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial support for its publishing activities of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP). To Paul, Alexandra, and our families This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 3 1 Mothering the Flock: Maternal Discipline and Pastoral Power 20 Rethinking Maternalism: Maternal Rationalities and Strategies 23 Christian Mothering as a Social Reform Technique 25 Elizabeth Fry 30 Conclusions 43 2 Mother Knows Best: The Development of Separate Institutions for Women 45 The Creation of Separate Institutions for Women Prisoners 47 The Andrew Mercer Reformatory and the Reformatory Ideal 56 Maternally Based Programs of Prisoner Reform 57 Conclusions: Maternal Success or Failure? 66 3 Finding a New Home: From Kingston Penitentiary to the Prison for Women 71 Warehousing Women: The Female Unit at Kingston Penitentiary 72 Rationale for a Separate Women's Penitentiary: The Nickle Commission, 1921 83 Institutionalization of Women's Knowledges: The Prison for Women, 1934-50 86 Conclusions 90 viii Contents 4 Laywomen's Expertise: Women's Prison Reform, 1945-70 92 New Forms of Governing: Rehabilitation and the Woman Prisoner 93 The Persistence of Maternal Discipline: Household Management at P4W 99 Scientific Interventions 103 The Growth of Elizabeth Fry Societies 108 Conclusions 126 5 Breaking with Tradition: Feminist Reformers and the Empowerment of Women? 1970-96 132 Liberal Feminism and Women Prisoners' Rights Claims 132 The Politics of Difference and the Ethic of Care 139 Creating Choices, the Task Force on Federally Sentenced Women 141 From Vision to Practice 152 Redefining Women-Centredness 154 Conclusions 160 6 Empowering Prison: Neoliberal Governance 162 Theorizing Changes 162 Renegotiating Boundaries: Responsibilizing the Community and the Offender 165 Creating an Empowerable Subject: Supporting Knowledges 166 The 'Will to Empower' 168 Empowerment: A Flexible Strategy of Government 169 The Unempowerable Prisoner: The Triangle of Sovereignty-Discipline-Government 176 Conclusions 185 Conclusion: Stumbling Blocks, Growing Pains, or More of the Same? 188 Paradoxes of Women-Centred Corrections 189 Notes 201 References 223 Index 247 Illustrations follow p. 124 Acknowledgmentts As we wander along the numerous paths of life, we are inspired by various individuals, a number of whom do not know how much they have contributed to our growth. While I cannot begin to acknowledge all the individuals who have influenced my work and supported this project, I want to express my appreciation to some who contributed directly and indirectly to this project. I had the good fortune to benefit from the kindness and support of many individuals. I am grateful for the generous support of the faculty and students at the Centre of Criminology, University of Toronto. I would like to thank Rita Donelan, Gloria Cernivivo, Beatrice Caulfield, Lisa Steigmann- Gall, and Fiorella Arcara for their administrative support. I extend a special thank you to Monica Bristol, who always had words of encour- agement and the time to listen. I am grateful to the past and present staff of the Criminology Library - Catherine Matthews, Tom Finlay, Renana Almagor, and Jane Gladstone - and to various students and faculty members who were always willing to talk about undeveloped ideas. Each of the following individuals contributed to my knowledge and success: William Bateman, John Beattie, Tony Doob, Richard Ericson, Don Evans, Carolyn Strange, William Watson, Lorna Wier, Clifford Shearing, and Philip Stenning. Some of my fondest memories are of intellectual and recreational experiences shared with friends like Marc and Heather Copolino, Willem Delint, Simon Devereaux, Kevin and Deirdre Freiheit, Kevin Haggerty, Amanel lyogun, Kirsten Johnson, Tammy Landau, Maeve McMahon, Voula Marines, Allyson May, Anna Pratt, Brian and Beatrice Schoenhofer, Greg Smith, Kim Varma, Mary Lynn Young, and many others. I also appreciate the support of my colleagues at Brock University and the University of Toronto.
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