Women, Imprisonment and Social Control

This chapter explores the history of female incarceration on the island of Ireland which has a number of distinctive features. For example, The Republic represents an interesting case study, since its female incarceration rate was among the highest in the world during the nineteenth century but fell dramatically during the twentieth century. The political conflict in Northern Ireland led to the incarceration of politically motivated female prisoners whose unique experiences of prison life have generated novel insights into the lives of incarcerated women more generally. In addition, the chapter discusses innovative prison regimes, focusing in detail on the Dóchas centre, a women’s prison in the Republic which, when it opened in 1999, was regarded as an example of best practice by international experts in the field. Finally, the impact of wider issues, such as gender, power, social control and women’s rights, is considered.