Before the COVID-19 pandemic, research demonstrated that prison was unhealthy and unsafe for pregnant women (Abbott, 2018; Davies et al 2020). Experiences of being locked inside a prison cell made physiological symptoms of pregnancy harder to manage and generated feelings of anxiety and discomfort. Findings presented in this chapter are from a pilot study which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic which shed light on the challenges during this unique time. Audio-recorded, qualitative, in-depth interviews were conducted virtually with women who provide, or who have provided, pregnancy and birth support in English prisons. This chapter presents the key findings, including: mental health versus physical risk of COVID-19, virtual support, virtual decision making and being released from prison into a global pandemic.
This second volume from the Women, Family, Crime and Justice (WFCJ) network draws attention to current, real-life issues relating to the experiences, perceptions and social and criminal justice environments for women and families. The current edited collection has a dual focus: the punishment of women in the criminal justice system and violence, abuse and justice experiences. The first theme explores punishments experienced by pregnant prisoners, within an English women’s centre and by ‘BAME’ women supporting incarcerated loved ones. The second theme examines abusive relationships for LGB and/or T+ people, abuse perpetrated by imprisoned women and online misogyny. This unique collection brings together the voices, research and experience of academics, practitioners and service users. In doing so, it outlines the diverse and varied social injustices that continue to trouble those in our communities affected by the criminal justice system.
Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) affects many LGB and/or T+ people’s relationships, yet victims/survivors rarely seek help from the police or specialist DVA support services. This chapter reports on findings from the ‘Coral Project’, which focused on LGB and/or T+ people’s use of abusive behaviours. Focus groups were conducted with practitioners in what we term ‘relationships services’, working directly or indirectly supporting people with their intimate relationships. The analysis revealed varying conceptualisations of DVA in different practice cultures and an unmet need for support for DVA which falls below the threshold for criminal justice or specialist DVA service intervention. We conclude with recommendations for providing more inclusive and accessible relationships services.
Prisoners’ families remain silent victims due to their association with the person criminalised and imprisoned. Many families are likely Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals, given that BAME prisoners are disproportionately represented in prison, despite representing only 14 per cent of the general UK population (Farmer, 2017). Frontline support in the community is essential; it should be included and considered within policy and governmental initiatives. Drawing on our frontline practitioner roles at Himaya Haven CIC, this chapter outlines culturally specific and gendered challenges facing BAME women and children supporting male imprisoned relatives. This is achieved through three themes: 1) Blame and stigma, 2) Financial difficulties, and 3) Children and young people’s experiences. Recommendations for inter-agency interaction and multi-agency partnerships/working are proposed.
There is growing recognition that women perpetrate intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) for reasons other than self-defence. This is reflected in increasing numbers of women entering the criminal justice system for IPVA-related offences. To understand more about these issues, interviews were conducted with 15 women in prison for an IPVA-related offence. Analysis revealed that perpetration of IPVA was often motivated by a need to take back control, an anticipation of being hurt in relationships and cyclical, negative dynamics of their interpersonal relationships. Women’s behaviour was situated against a backdrop of complex trauma and chaotic living situations. Theoretical explanations must incorporate the impact of trauma and mental health issues as perpetuating factors, and interventions offered should be trauma-informed.
This second volume from the Women, Family, Crime and Justice (WFCJ) network draws attention to current, real-life issues relating to the experiences, perceptions and social and criminal justice environments for women and families. The current edited collection has a dual focus: the punishment of women in the criminal justice system and violence, abuse and justice experiences. The first theme explores punishments experienced by pregnant prisoners, within an English women’s centre and by ‘BAME’ women supporting incarcerated loved ones. The second theme examines abusive relationships for LGB and/or T+ people, abuse perpetrated by imprisoned women and online misogyny. This unique collection brings together the voices, research and experience of academics, practitioners and service users. In doing so, it outlines the diverse and varied social injustices that continue to trouble those in our communities affected by the criminal justice system.
In England and Wales, domestic homicide reviews (DHRs) seek to build a picture of the circumstances preceding a domestic abuse-related death, identify any learning and make recommendations for change. Drawing on data from document analysis of 60 DHR reports, this article explores how a victim’s real name is routinely taken out of use when a DHR report is published and, to disguise their identity, is usually replaced with a pseudonym or some other nomenclature like initials/letters. I report on the name forms used in place of a victim’s real name and the limited explication of both how (pseudo)names were chosen and the role of the family. By exploring how names are used, I argue for a recognition of the assumptions and complexity at the heart of DHRs concerning the place of the victim, family and state, and identify implications for practice, policy and research.
In ideal-typical terms, the cultural structure of love can be said to be organised according to the binary categorisations of ‘mythic’ and ‘prosaic-realist’ love. Sociological studies on the culture of love have typically favoured the latter, characterising contemporary love as a product of modern sensibilities that prioritise individual autonomy over loving commitment. And yet, as many empirical studies have shown, mythic love seems to persist. This article theoretically and empirically accounts for the endurance of mythic love by demonstrating how its core promises are reconciled with prosaic-realist love. It elaborates a theoretical model for assessing the attitudes people have towards romantic ideals: ‘structures of feeling’ (; ). To investigate romantic structures of feeling, I conducted interviews with participants who watched one of two quintessential cinematic representations of mythic and prosaic-realist love, respectively: The Notebook (2004) and Blue Valentine (2010). I found that mythic love persists as a legitimate cultural model for love through the feeling structures of irony and aspiration. Participants expressed aspiration towards mythic love through surprised faith in the film’s mythic idealism and attributed authenticity to mythic love’s purity, while also integrating prosaic-realist rationales into their assessment of mythic love’s legitimacy. Participants expressed ironic dispositions towards prosaic-realism, finding its core principles to be ‘too real’ and deflationary. These findings point to a need to take myth in romance seriously, by not only recognising its existence but also the cultural mechanisms that reconcile its promises with prosaic-realist alternatives.
