Community-Driven Curating in Per(Sister): Incarcerated Women of Louisiana

The exhibition Per(Sister): Incarcerated Women of Louisiana (2019) developed community-driven and co-productive curatorial practices through a partnership with directly impacted stakeholders. This article presents three characteristics that made the partnership between the Newcomb Art Museum and consultants from a community of formerly incarcerated women and activists in New Orleans a success: an understanding of the politics of both the issue and the site, a sharing and collective building of power, and a polyvocal exhibition format. Within the context of the role of curating in struggles for social justice, this article outlines the importance of working with external actors, such as movement leaders and activists, to ensure accountability, equity and reciprocity in exhibitions that address social issues.

Voice, Counterspaces, and Ethical Care in Research With Black Women With Trauma and Incarceration Histories

Formerly incarcerated women face diverse challenges to re-entry, which include recovering from health illnesses and trauma to navigating various systems of stigma and surveillance. It is these multilevel challenges to reintegration that also make formerly incarcerated women vulnerable participants in research. As such, this qualitative study explores how 28 formerly incarcerated Black women experience the research interview process. Findings revealed that women participated in research because these contexts were viewed as spaces for “truth telling” and increasing awareness that can effect changes in the lives of communities facing trauma. Moreover, the participants perceived the interview process to allow them to share their pasts in ways that can promote healing and recovery. Participants also discussed risks of emotional distress and anticipatory fears regarding imbalanced researcher–participant dynamics. The implications for antioppressive, compassionate interviewing practices underscore the need for greater considerations of the role of the researcher and how they contribute to women’s recovery from complex trauma and illness.

The Garden Collective : a short documentary film

This paper is written in support of The Garden Collective, a short documentary film exploring the memorialization of the former Prison for Women (P4W) in Kingston, Ontario. The film documents the P4W Memorial Collective, a group of formerly incarcerated women, activists and academics, working to establish a memorial garden to honour the many women who lost their lives inside P4W. The Garden Collective features interviews with the Collective and other former prisoners of P4W to provide insight into prisoners’ experiences and past injustices, as well as call into question the ways in which the prison is currently being remembered and historicized by the surrounding community. This paper begins with a chapter analyzing the historical and political context of P4W, followed by a chapter exploring the content within the film from an abolitionist approach. The final chapter of this paper is dedicated to the film’s methodology, visual techniques and ethical challenges.

The Garden Collective : a short documentary film

This paper is written in support of The Garden Collective, a short documentary film exploring the memorialization of the former Prison for Women (P4W) in Kingston, Ontario. The film documents the P4W Memorial Collective, a group of formerly incarcerated women, activists and academics, working to establish a memorial garden to honour the many women who lost their lives inside P4W. The Garden Collective features interviews with the Collective and other former prisoners of P4W to provide insight into prisoners’ experiences and past injustices, as well as call into question the ways in which the prison is currently being remembered and historicized by the surrounding community. This paper begins with a chapter analyzing the historical and political context of P4W, followed by a chapter exploring the content within the film from an abolitionist approach. The final chapter of this paper is dedicated to the film’s methodology, visual techniques and ethical challenges.

Locked Up and Blocked Out: The Digital Divide for Formerly Incarcerated Women in Canada

In Canadian prisons and jails, populations are not able to access the internet, and many other essential technologies. Several research studies have examined the impact of the digital divide on incarcerated populations in the United States and other countries around the world (Barreiro-Gen & Novo-Corti, 2015; Reisdorf & Rikard, 2018). This study will expand on the current research by examining the impact of restrictions to internet access in Canadian prisons on the lives of formerly incarcerated women in Canada and, more specifically, how these restrictions affect their ability to reintegrate into society after the period of incarceration. The methodology of this research will be qualitative, and data will be collected through semi-structured interviews with individuals who have a variety of different experiences with the women’s correctional system in Canada. This study will address major areas of research in the field of study that addresses the digital divide, including the learning and development of digital skills, and how different identities can intersect to impact the way individuals experience the digital divide. Through constant comparative content analysis, this study describes the experience of the digital divide, how it both persists and develops from the time of incarceration to life post-incarceration, and how it can compound other types of barriers faced by women who have been incarcerated in our country.

Locked Up and Blocked Out: The Digital Divide for Formerly Incarcerated Women in Canada

In Canadian prisons and jails, populations are not able to access the internet, and many other essential technologies. Several research studies have examined the impact of the digital divide on incarcerated populations in the United States and other countries around the world (Barreiro-Gen & Novo-Corti, 2015; Reisdorf & Rikard, 2018). This study will expand on the current research by examining the impact of restrictions to internet access in Canadian prisons on the lives of formerly incarcerated women in Canada and, more specifically, how these restrictions affect their ability to reintegrate into society after the period of incarceration. The methodology of this research will be qualitative, and data will be collected through semi-structured interviews with individuals who have a variety of different experiences with the women’s correctional system in Canada. This study will address major areas of research in the field of study that addresses the digital divide, including the learning and development of digital skills, and how different identities can intersect to impact the way individuals experience the digital divide. Through constant comparative content analysis, this study describes the experience of the digital divide, how it both persists and develops from the time of incarceration to life post-incarceration, and how it can compound other types of barriers faced by women who have been incarcerated in our country.

“Every time I tell my story I learn something new”: Voice and inclusion in research with Black women with histories of substance use and incarceration

While current ethical procedures aim to minimize risks to imprisoned individuals, there is heightened awareness of the need to protect those who participate in research post-incarceration while under community-based supervision. Formerly incarcerated women, in particular, face myriad challenges to community reintegration which also make them vulnerable participants in research. As such, this study explores how 28 formerly incarcerated Black women experience the qualitative research process. Findings revealed that women engaged in research because these contexts were viewed as therapeutic spaces for raising awareness that can help others. Moreover, the interview process allowed women to share their pasts in ways that promote their recovery from addiction. Participants also reported risks of emotional distress and fears regarding researcher stigma. The implications for trauma-informed interviewing practices underscore the need for greater considerations of the role of the researcher, research environment, and how they contribute to one’s personal recovery.