Summary:
The custodial sentence and its construction in the suffocating environment of the prison emerges as the ultimate expression of state control over crime. Any person who passes through the criminal justice system remains stigmatized for the rest of his or her life. Women prisoners, especially imprisoned mothers, because of their position of subordination within the patriarchal society, are perceived as doubly scapegoated because they have violated the social role imposed on them, on the one hand by their criminal behaviour that led to their incarceration and on the other hand by not fulfilling the role of the «good mother» as defined by the dominant hegemonic discourse. This study attempts to understand the politics produced by the institutions that shape the social and political reality for incarcerated mothers in Greek detention facilities, as well as the consequences of these politics during incarceration. First, the legal status, as defined by Greek institutions, and the policies that govern the status of detained mothers in Greek detention facilities are examined. Reference is made to recommendations, rules and resolutions that refer to detained mothers and the rights of detainees and influence existing legislation as texts of general recognition. Then, seeking to trace the reality experienced by detained mothers, texts of international organizations or other bodies active in the monitoring of prisoners' rights at national and international level are studied. Finally, a number of secondary sources are used to study the discourse of prisoners about their experiences. As it turns out, there is a competent international and domestic legislation, which always has room for improvement. However, there is a lack of will to implement it, with the result that outdated and inflexible methods of incarceration still seem to be preferred by the system of power.
Keywords:
Prison, Women's crime, Incarcerated mothers, Comparative study, Policy analysis, Policy recruitment, Structural inequalities, Living conditions, Treatment issues.
