Sylvie Frigon

Women, the embodiment of health and carceral space

Using the example of women incarcerated in Canada, this paper aims at showing the necessity of studying prisoners’ health and healthcare through a perspective informed both by a criminology of the body and prison/penal sociology. Health is too often constructed as a set of discrete variables that can be isolated from the whole person and her environment. In this paper, we want to show the complexities and richness of situating carceral health and healthcare within the experience of the body and prison. After describing the situation of women in prison in Canada and their health status before incarceration and while in prison, the intricacies of health, healthcare and punishment will be described and we will conclude by showing how health and the body act as a site of control and a site of resistance for incarcerated women.

Echoes of Imprisonment: Women's Experiences of "Successful (Re)integration"

Women who are released from prison continue to face challenges stemming from their imprisonment. This article discusses the ways in which the prison and, by extension, the state follow women out of prison into their communities. While the state attempts to ensure “successful reintegration” for ex-prisoners, its policies, which reflect a neo-liberal agenda of individual responsibilization, may in fact hinder women’s chances of integrating into their communities. The article explores women’s experiences of (re)integration through the voices of female ex-prisoners who served long prison terms, their families, and their advocates. The control experienced in prison echoes in women’s lives on the outside: they experience dislocation, marginalization, and a need to (re)negotiate their lives. While women may physically leave the prison, the experience remains imprinted on their minds and bodies as the state continues to govern them from a distance, both through the after-effects of imprisonment and through continued surveillance. Les femmes qui sortent de prison continuent de faire face à des épreuves provenant de leur emprisonnement. Dans cet article, nous abordons les façons dont la prison, et par extension l’État, suivent les femmes à l’extérieur de la prison jusque dans leurs communautés. Tandis que l’État tente d’assurer une réintégration réussie des ex-prisonnières, ses politiques, reflétant un agenda néolibéral de responsabilisation individuelle, entravent possiblement les chances des femmes de réintégrer leurs communautés. Ici, nous explorons les expériences de (ré)intégration des femmes par l’entremise de témoignages d’ex-prisonnières ayant servi de longues sentences, de leur famille et de leurs défenseurs. Le contrôle que ces femmes ont connu en prison résonne dans leur vie après leur mise en liberté : elles ressentent une désagrégation, une marginalisation et un besoin de (re)négocier leur vie. Tandis que les femmes peuvent quitter la prison, le contrôle qu’elles ont subi durant leur incarcération demeure imprégné dans leur esprit et leur corps. L’État continue d’exercer, bref, une autorité sur elles à distance par les séquelles de leur emprisonnement ainsi que par une surveillance continue.

Karla Homolka—From a Woman In Danger to a Dangerous Woman -- Chronicling the Shifts

Abstract In Canada in 1993, Karla Homolka was convicted of two counts of manslaughter in an Ontario court after entering into a plea bargain, which led to a reduced charge and sentence in return for her testimony against her husband, Paul Bernardo. Following her highly publicized trial, Karla Homolka was sentenced to twelve years in prison. Two years later, Paul Bernardo was declared a dangerous offender and was condemned to life imprisonment, for the murders of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French. Karla Homolka was initially presented as a battered woman fearing for her life; however, this construction changed during the legal proceedings. This article examines the dichotomous construction of endangerment and dangerousness as applied to the socio-legal construction of Karla Homolka. Three data sources were used: the trial transcripts from Karla Homolkas plea agreement, Homolkas examination In Chief, cross-examination, and re-examination at Paul Bernardos trial, and the Report to the Attorney General of Ontario on Certain Matters Relating to Karla Homolka. Homolka has been portrayed as representative of both the mythical depiction of the overtly dangerous and/or violent woman and as a woman in danger. This dichotomy of in danger and dangerous, modulates our understanding of Homolka, and ultimately lends to the creation of an even more extreme characterization, that of the sexually violent female predator. This article chronicles the evolution of our understanding of Homolka as a woman in danger and as a figure of dangerousness.

Aging, women and health: from the pains of imprisonment to the pains of reintegration.

In this article, we examine the ways in which older womens experiences of imprisonment, aging, and health impact their lives. Specifically, we focus on the community reintegration experiences of older women who have served long prison sentences, exploring the lasting effects of imprisonment and aging on their physical and mental health. Two separate Canadian studies of reintegration, consisting of interviews with older reintegrating women, as well as the professionals who assist them in the community, are used to highlight older womens reintegrations. While researchers have argued that older women should face fewer challenges during reintegration and are more likely to succeed in the community than other reintegrating populations, we find that they experience many difficulties and barriers linked to their age, health and gender.

Karla Homolka—From a Woman In Danger to a Dangerous Woman

Abstract In Canada in 1993, Karla Homolka was convicted of two counts of manslaughter in an Ontario court after entering into a plea bargain, which led to a reduced charge and sentence in return for her testimony against her husband, Paul Bernardo. Following her highly publicized trial, Karla Homolka was sentenced to twelve years in prison. Two years later, Paul Bernardo was declared a dangerous offender and was condemned to life imprisonment, for the murders of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French. Karla Homolka was initially presented as a battered woman fearing for her life; however, this construction changed during the legal proceedings. This article examines the dichotomous construction of endangerment and dangerousness as applied to the socio-legal construction of Karla Homolka. Three data sources were used: the trial transcripts from Karla Homolkas plea agreement, Homolkas examination In Chief, cross-examination, and re-examination at Paul Bernardos trial, and the Report to the Attorney General of Ontario on Certain Matters Relating to Karla Homolka. Homolka has been portrayed as representative of both the mythical depiction of the overtly dangerous and/or violent woman and as a woman in danger. This dichotomy of in danger and dangerous, modulates our understanding of Homolka, and ultimately lends to the creation of an even more extreme characterization, that of the sexually violent female predator. This article chronicles the evolution of our understanding of Homolka as a woman in danger and as a figure of dangerousness.