Abstract
This article explores the experiences of imprisoned mothers in the Victorian convict prison system. It argues that motherhood, of central importance to the ideals of Victorian femininity, was disrupted and fractured by women’s long-term imprisonment. Using ‘whole life’ history methodology, the article draws on research into 288 women imprisoned and then released from the prison system, of whom half were mothers. It illuminates how the long-term prison system dealt with pregnancy, childbirth and family contact for female prisoners. It argues that while institutional or state care was often an inevitable consequence for children of single or widowed mothers, women used their limited resources and agency to assert their identity as mothers and direct outcomes for their children. But for others, prolific offending and multiple long sentences would render any chance of motherhood impossible.
Highlights
Despite the interest in women's imprisonment historically and the various ways in which women's criminality and reformation were often measured against Victorian ideals of womanly behaviour (Zedner, 1994; D'Cruze and Jackson, 2009), notably motherhood, there is little existing research in this area
Whilst the female prison regime was constructed around returning criminal women to 'normal' womanhood and femininity, at its centre lay a striking contradiction, as motherhood was not a trait to which they were encouraged to aspire (Zedner, 1994)
Many imprisoned mothers were lone parents, through death or illegitimacy, and their children were often institutionalised in their absence
Summary
Despite the interest in women's imprisonment historically and the various ways in which women's criminality and reformation were often measured against Victorian ideals of womanly behaviour (Zedner, 1994; D'Cruze and Jackson, 2009), notably motherhood, there is little existing research in this area. The idea was that a period on licence outside prison would help convicts to re-establish their lives, to return to their families, gain employment and move away from criminality Both men and women were released on licence but women were subject to a conditional licence in a refuge (Johnston and Cox, forthcoming; Turner and Johnston, 2016). Licence holders were forbidden from associating with 'notoriously bad characters', 'leading a idle or dissolute life', or having no visible means of support (the elderly or infirm had to prove someone financially supported them) and they would lose their licence if they committed another offence Apart from this, they were free but would be immediately returned to prison to serve the remainder of their sentence should they breach any of the conditions
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