Mary Bosworth, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Fordham University, New York, USA

• Contents: Introduction; Agency and power in women’s prisons: an overview; Reading the prison: a review of the literature; Re-evaluating difference: the gender of justice, care and power; Towards legitimate research methods, or working by, on, for and with women; Gender, identity and the prison: punishing their bodies, punishing their selves; Voices of agency, voices of resistance: negotiating power relations in prison; Conclusion: women’s imprisonment: conclusions and new directions; Appendix; References; Index.

’Original and packed with indispensable insights...it deserves to become a classic of prison sociology and feminist scholarship.’ Howard Journal of Criminal Justice ’...Bosworth makes a significant contribution to the literature on sociological studies of prison...a well-written, up-to-date, informative and well-documented book that offers an alternative to our current understanding of the operation and structure of women’s institutions and of female inmates.’ Corrections Compendium ’...a unique account ...’ Sociological Abstracts ’...impressive, incisive, detailed...offers readers numerous useful insights.’ British Journal of Criminology ’...well written, theoretically informed, and empirically grounded.’ International Criminal Justice Review

Mary Bosworth, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Fordham University, New York, USA

• Contents: Introduction; Agency and power in women’s prisons: an overview; Reading the prison: a review of the literature; Re-evaluating difference: the gender of justice, care and power; Towards legitimate research methods, or working by, on, for and with women; Gender, identity and the prison: punishing their bodies, punishing their selves; Voices of agency, voices of resistance: negotiating power relations in prison; Conclusion: women’s imprisonment: conclusions and new directions; Appendix; References; Index.

’Original and packed with indispensable insights...it deserves to become a classic of prison sociology and feminist scholarship.’ Howard Journal of Criminal Justice ’...Bosworth makes a significant contribution to the literature on sociological studies of prison...a well-written, up-to-date, informative and well-documented book that offers an alternative to our current understanding of the operation and structure of women’s institutions and of female inmates.’ Corrections Compendium ’...a unique account ...’ Sociological Abstracts ’...impressive, incisive, detailed...offers readers numerous useful insights.’ British Journal of Criminology ’...well written, theoretically informed, and empirically grounded.’ International Criminal Justice Review

Mary Bosworth, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Fordham University, New York, USA

• Contents: Introduction; Agency and power in women’s prisons: an overview; Reading the prison: a review of the literature; Re-evaluating difference: the gender of justice, care and power; Towards legitimate research methods, or working by, on, for and with women; Gender, identity and the prison: punishing their bodies, punishing their selves; Voices of agency, voices of resistance: negotiating power relations in prison; Conclusion: women’s imprisonment: conclusions and new directions; Appendix; References; Index.

’Original and packed with indispensable insights...it deserves to become a classic of prison sociology and feminist scholarship.’ Howard Journal of Criminal Justice ’...Bosworth makes a significant contribution to the literature on sociological studies of prison...a well-written, up-to-date, informative and well-documented book that offers an alternative to our current understanding of the operation and structure of women’s institutions and of female inmates.’ Corrections Compendium ’...a unique account ...’ Sociological Abstracts ’...impressive, incisive, detailed...offers readers numerous useful insights.’ British Journal of Criminology ’...well written, theoretically informed, and empirically grounded.’ International Criminal Justice Review