Geographies of Gendered Punishment Women’s Imprisonment in Global Context, 2024
This chapter explores the connections between private and public patriarchal confinement, utilisi... more This chapter explores the connections between private and public patriarchal confinement, utilising the life history narratives of 18 imprisoned Thai women. More specifically, through the women’s voices, all of whom lived with/through and in anticipation of intimate partner violence (IPV), we describe how the patriarchal punishment endured in private led to state-sanctioned caging. We begin by calling attention to IPV as a human rights violation supported through law and legal systems impervious to women’s experiences. We note the IPV victimisation-criminalisation nexus and observe the larger programme of research from which these women’s stories came. From here, we overview the women’s backstories and map how the brutal course of men’s violence across/within their lives culminated in their imprisonment. Finally, we reference the women’s prison experiences and reflect on the need for change.
This paper presents findings from a feminist pathways study undertaken with imprisoned Tomboys, a... more This paper presents findings from a feminist pathways study undertaken with imprisoned Tomboys, a gender sexual minority group in Thailand. Utilizing life-history interviews, we mapped Tomboys' journeys into prison. Results showed two pathways. The first, insubordinate lifestyles, was characterized by substance abuse and lifelong lawbreaking. The second pathway-support, sacrifice, suffering-was marked by romantic love and familial caregiving. Many of the experiences and central mechanisms that constituted both trajectories aligned with those found in previous feminist pathways and queer criminological scholarship. Nevertheless, qualities distinct to Tomboys' incarceration journeys were also identified.
International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 2024
In 2007, Evan Stark consolidated decades of feminist scholarship and advocacy on intimate partner... more In 2007, Evan Stark consolidated decades of feminist scholarship and advocacy on intimate partner violence (IPV) into a framework he coined “coercive control” (Stark 2007). Stark’s model was initially heteronormative. He later contended that heteropatriarchy may condition abuse in women’s intimate relationships with other women, but more research was needed to clearly understand how coercive control manifests beyond heterosexuality (Stark and Hester 2019). In this paper, we utilise the voices of 18 Australian same-gender attracted women who experienced IPV in intimate relationships with other women. The participants’ narratives, revealed through this qualitative method, provide insights into perpetrator tactics of coercive control in these relationships. Situating these stratagems within Stark’s framework, we gain a deeper understanding of this, often invisible, manifestation of coercive control. This study is essential and timely because, since Stark (2007) published his book, several countries have criminalised coercive control and some states in Australia have recently followed suit.
Overall, reviews of international sentencing research conclude that offenders’ race/ethnicity has... more Overall, reviews of international sentencing research conclude that offenders’ race/ethnicity has a direct effect on sentencing outcomes. Although specific research on Indigenous status and sentencing is much more limited, there is emerging evidence that Indigeneity also has a direct impact on sentencing outcomes. While North American research suggests harsher outcomes, Australian research indicates more lenient outcomes at some stage of the process. The current study examines the effect of Indigenous status on the length of imprisonment decision in Western Australia’s higher courts. We found that Indigenous offenders receive shorter terms of imprisonment than non-Indigenous offenders in statistically similar circumstances. We argue that our findings are broadly consistent with focal concerns of blameworthiness, risk and practical concerns having an impact on decisions about length of term. However, Indigeneity does not evoke the same judicial perceptions of race as suggested by prior North American research.
Internationally, sentencing research has largely neglected the impact of Indigeneity on sentencin... more Internationally, sentencing research has largely neglected the impact of Indigeneity on sentencing outcomes. Using data from Western Australia’s higher courts for the years 2003–05, we investigate the direct and interactive effects of Indigenous status on the judicial decision to imprison. Unlike prior research on race/ethnicity in which minority offenders are often found to be more harshly treated by sentencing courts, we find that Indigenous status has no direct effect on the decision to imprison,after adjusting for other sentencing factors (especially past and current criminality).However, there are sub-group differences: Indigenous males are more likely to receive a prison sentence compared to non-Indigenous females. We draw on the focal concerns perspective of judicial decision making in interpreting our findings.
Geographies of Gendered Punishment Women’s Imprisonment in Global Context, 2024
This chapter explores the connections between private and public patriarchal confinement, utilisi... more This chapter explores the connections between private and public patriarchal confinement, utilising the life history narratives of 18 imprisoned Thai women. More specifically, through the women’s voices, all of whom lived with/through and in anticipation of intimate partner violence (IPV), we describe how the patriarchal punishment endured in private led to state-sanctioned caging. We begin by calling attention to IPV as a human rights violation supported through law and legal systems impervious to women’s experiences. We note the IPV victimisation-criminalisation nexus and observe the larger programme of research from which these women’s stories came. From here, we overview the women’s backstories and map how the brutal course of men’s violence across/within their lives culminated in their imprisonment. Finally, we reference the women’s prison experiences and reflect on the need for change.
This paper presents findings from a feminist pathways study undertaken with imprisoned Tomboys, a... more This paper presents findings from a feminist pathways study undertaken with imprisoned Tomboys, a gender sexual minority group in Thailand. Utilizing life-history interviews, we mapped Tomboys' journeys into prison. Results showed two pathways. The first, insubordinate lifestyles, was characterized by substance abuse and lifelong lawbreaking. The second pathway-support, sacrifice, suffering-was marked by romantic love and familial caregiving. Many of the experiences and central mechanisms that constituted both trajectories aligned with those found in previous feminist pathways and queer criminological scholarship. Nevertheless, qualities distinct to Tomboys' incarceration journeys were also identified.
International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 2024
In 2007, Evan Stark consolidated decades of feminist scholarship and advocacy on intimate partner... more In 2007, Evan Stark consolidated decades of feminist scholarship and advocacy on intimate partner violence (IPV) into a framework he coined “coercive control” (Stark 2007). Stark’s model was initially heteronormative. He later contended that heteropatriarchy may condition abuse in women’s intimate relationships with other women, but more research was needed to clearly understand how coercive control manifests beyond heterosexuality (Stark and Hester 2019). In this paper, we utilise the voices of 18 Australian same-gender attracted women who experienced IPV in intimate relationships with other women. The participants’ narratives, revealed through this qualitative method, provide insights into perpetrator tactics of coercive control in these relationships. Situating these stratagems within Stark’s framework, we gain a deeper understanding of this, often invisible, manifestation of coercive control. This study is essential and timely because, since Stark (2007) published his book, several countries have criminalised coercive control and some states in Australia have recently followed suit.
Overall, reviews of international sentencing research conclude that offenders’ race/ethnicity has... more Overall, reviews of international sentencing research conclude that offenders’ race/ethnicity has a direct effect on sentencing outcomes. Although specific research on Indigenous status and sentencing is much more limited, there is emerging evidence that Indigeneity also has a direct impact on sentencing outcomes. While North American research suggests harsher outcomes, Australian research indicates more lenient outcomes at some stage of the process. The current study examines the effect of Indigenous status on the length of imprisonment decision in Western Australia’s higher courts. We found that Indigenous offenders receive shorter terms of imprisonment than non-Indigenous offenders in statistically similar circumstances. We argue that our findings are broadly consistent with focal concerns of blameworthiness, risk and practical concerns having an impact on decisions about length of term. However, Indigeneity does not evoke the same judicial perceptions of race as suggested by prior North American research.
Internationally, sentencing research has largely neglected the impact of Indigeneity on sentencin... more Internationally, sentencing research has largely neglected the impact of Indigeneity on sentencing outcomes. Using data from Western Australia’s higher courts for the years 2003–05, we investigate the direct and interactive effects of Indigenous status on the judicial decision to imprison. Unlike prior research on race/ethnicity in which minority offenders are often found to be more harshly treated by sentencing courts, we find that Indigenous status has no direct effect on the decision to imprison,after adjusting for other sentencing factors (especially past and current criminality).However, there are sub-group differences: Indigenous males are more likely to receive a prison sentence compared to non-Indigenous females. We draw on the focal concerns perspective of judicial decision making in interpreting our findings.
In feminist criminology, there is a growing body of research exploring pathways to prison, but fe... more In feminist criminology, there is a growing body of research exploring pathways to prison, but few studies have specifically sought to map women’s journeys into the criminal justice system for crimes of physical violence and sex offending. Gender comparative research is sparse, and, to date, we know little about women and men imprisoned in Thailand for these types of crimes. Subsequently, in this paper, we report findings from a gender comparative feminist pathways study conducted in Thailand, with a specific focus on violence and sex offending; namely, homicide, sexual assault, human trafficking, and sex work-related offences. We utilise a qualitative analysis of life-history interviews to centre and value these women’s and men’s voices, establish their backstories, and thematically map their imprisonment trajectories. Three pathways to prison emerged: (1) lifestyles of contravention, (2) harmed and harming, and (3) destructive masculinity. Utilising the participants’ descriptions, we highlight similarities and variance by gender within and between these pathways.
Research investigating how trans women come to be criminalized is limited. In this article, using... more Research investigating how trans women come to be criminalized is limited. In this article, using a feminist pathways approach, we explore phu-ying-kham-phet (Thai trans women's) narratives of their journeys to prison. Results show several common threads of discrimination, oppression, marginalization, and harm in their backstories. These encompassed adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse, familial disavowal of feminine gender expression, separation from parents, and impoverishment. During adulthood, discrimination in the labor market was common, as was substance dependence, earning a living in the underground economy, criminal (in)justice system mistreatment, and, for some, domestic violence victimization. In addition to identifying common features in the life histories of imprisoned phuying-kham-phet, we mapped the circumstances, experiences, and events that culminated in their imprisonment. Three distinct pathways to prison were found: 1) criminalized lives, 2) normative lives, and 3) other. Many of the central mechanisms constituting these trajectories aligned with previous cisgender feminist pathways studies. However, features unique to the imprisonment journeys of phu-ying-kham-phet were also identified.
This paper presents findings from a study exploring the experiences and viewpoints of conventiona... more This paper presents findings from a study exploring the experiences and viewpoints of conventional criminal justice actors, social and legal service providers, and restorative justice (RJ) conference facilitators/convenors regarding the use of adult RJ conferencing in cases of intimate partner, domestic, family (IPDFV) and sexual violence (SV). Results indicated strong views about what IPDFV/SV victims needed from a system of justice, perceived failings of conventional justice systems in this regard, and the potential of RJ to deliver more efficacious justice. Nevertheless, using RJ in these cases posed concerns and challenges. Research participants identified steps that could be taken to overcome these issues through an RJ best practice framework underpinned by a victim-centred approach committed to victim empowerment, safety, healing, and practitioner training.
Gender, Criminalization, Imprisonment and Human Rights in Southeast Asia, 2022
Gender, Criminalization, Imprisonment and Human Rights in Southeast Asia features contributions f... more Gender, Criminalization, Imprisonment and Human Rights in Southeast Asia features contributions from activist scholars grappling to understand and alleviate the compound sufferings of women and LGBTIQA+ persons as they encounter Southeast Asian criminal justice systems. The collection demonstrates that it is critical that the drivers of gendered harms and the way gendered needs intersect with other inequalities are better understood and adequately reflected in law, policy and practice.
Uploads
Papers by Samantha Jeffries
thematically map their imprisonment trajectories. Three pathways to prison emerged: (1) lifestyles of contravention, (2) harmed and harming, and (3) destructive masculinity. Utilising the participants’ descriptions, we highlight similarities and variance by gender within and between these pathways.