The Prison Trajectories of Foreign National Women in Spain: Intersections of Citizenship, Gender, Race, and Social Class

Abstract

In Spain, where prison studies have not been developed extensively, little attention has been paid to analyzing the trajectories and specificities of the foreign population in the prison system—in particular, those of women. Moreover, over the few last decades, the Spanish prison system has undergone several transformations due to the implementation of new correctional programs, such as the “Respect Modules” (Modulos de Respeto), which promote the participation of the prisoners in the organization of their units, implement a different system of evaluation of prisoners’ behavior, and introduce a new set of rules inside the units. This article analyzes the trajectories of foreign national women prisoners in Spain, focusing on the impact of citizenship, gender, race, and social class on daily life in prison, with particular emphasis on the enactment of practices of self-government. The article contributes to the growing body of literature that shows how the interaction between criminal law and immigration law alters the general aim of social reintegration for prisoners. In addition, the article offers new insights on the particular effects of penal responsibilization projects on different groups of prisoners.