For more information on the issues facing incarcerated women, Judth's Table suggests the following books.
Wall Tappings: An International Anthology of Women's Prison Writings, 200 to the Present. Edited by Judith A. Scheffler. Published by The Feminist Press, they state "Women's prisioners have historically been one of humanity's most silenced groups." Women's Review of Books writes, "The struggle of a woman in prison to define and articulate her self and her relation to others, the struggle to keep her spirit alive and send messages to us outside those walls, is itself an exemplary act. Wall Tappings is a fine introduction to the varieties of that struggle."
Too Much Time: Women In Prison. Jane Evelyn Atwood. The publisher writes, "This is a documentary survey of the experience of women in prison by the award-winning photojournalist Jane Evelyn Atwood. Since 1980 the numbers of women in US prisons have increased tenfold. Similar statistics apply to the nine other countries around the world where Atwood has succeeded in penetrating the prison systems - photographing, interviewing women prisoners and their guards, gathering testimony. The result is a raw and moving account in words and pictures of society's attitude to the issues of women, crime and incarceration. The book raises questions about the relative treatment of men and women in prison and about the links between women's crimes and male violence. But more than a campaigning photo story, the book assembles an extraordinary body of experience. As Kathy Boudin, a teacher and writer imprisoned since 1981, comments: "as women in prison, we tell stories to each other - sitting in our cells, walking in the prison yard, in parenting groups - but we urgently need our stories to be heard beyond the walls and the razor wire. This book takes the reader into the lives of women in prison as they reflect on personal responsibility and social realities, guilt and reparation, change, loss and survival. It is in the power of prisoners' voices that the complex truth emerges."
The Farm: Life Inside a Women's Prison. Andi Rierden. Published by the University of Massachusetts Press. This book is a journalistic account of the lives of women in the Women's Correctional Institute in Niantic, CT resulting from interviews with prisoners and prison staff.
Women in Prison: Inside the Concrete Womb. Kathryn Watterson. Amazon states "This compelling book, which has been thoroughly revised and updated, draws on candid interviews with over 400 women inmates and prison officials to shed a shocking light on our penal system as it affects women."
Couldn't Keep It to Myself: Testimonies From Our Imprisoned Sisters. Wally Lamb. Amazon review states "Any book that can give voice to the voiceless should be celebrated. No one feels this more strongly than Wally Lamb, editor of Couldn't Keep It to Myself, a collection of stories by 11 women imprisoned in the York Correctional Institution in Connecticut. Teacher and novelist Lamb was invited to head a writing workshop at York Correctional Institution in 1999. His somewhat reluctant acceptance soon turned into steadfast advocacy once the women in his charge began to tell their stories. Lamb maintains that there are things we need to know about prison and prisoners: "There are misconceptions to be abandoned, biases to be dropped." However, as heartfelt as his appeal is, nothing speaks more convincingly in this book than the stories themselves. Those collected here are disturbing and horrific. They reveal, often in graphic detail, the worst kind of abuse: incest, drug addiction, spousal violence, parental neglect, or incompetence. They're also testimony to what social workers and health care professionals have confirmed for years--that those who populate our prisons are often victims first themselves. Thus, the telling of these stories serves as a form of therapy. They are also sad accounts of the brutalities many suffer, yet few discuss: "One day I figured out a dying little girl lived inside of me, so I threw her a lifeline in the form of paper and pen." Considering the degradation the contributors have experienced both in and outside prison, the courage, candor, and honesty with which they speak truly make these stories, as difficult as they are to read, "victories against voicelessness--miracles in print." --Silvana Tropea
If you would like to make a donation directly to Judith's Table Women's Prison Project, we have provided a link below. Clicking on this link will take you to the PayPal website where you can make your donation. PayPal donations can be made using credit cards or bank transfers. 100% of your donation will go to support incarcerated women and their children. Judith's Table does NOT retain ANY administrative funds. Thank you for your help with Judith's Table Women's Prison Project.
