CRM 2309 Study Guide - Peptic Ulcer, Psychoactive Drug, Asthma
Document Summary
Women, the embodiment of health and carceral space. Physical pain, the pain of the body itself, is no longer the constituent element of the penalty. They may include: make-up, clothes, tattoos, body piercing, sexuality, hunger strikes or other detrimental forms of actions, namely self mutilation: women who self mutilate experience a sense of relief. An examination of the health issues in this context shows the construction of women"s bodies as being simultaneously a site of control and a site of resistance. Prison continues to rely on and produce submission. Women want and are asked to assume responsibility for their health. However woman are prevented from doing so because the control over their bodies and health services are given to the penal authorities. Self-mutilation and art can both be seen as ways to resist the carceral logic. The paradox of pregnancy in prison: resistance, control, and the body.
