Breaking Women: Gender, Race, and the New Politics of Imprisonment

Acknowledgments

>> xiii Acknowledgments This book has been a long time in the making and I am grateful to everyone who has encouraged, inspired, and supported me along the way. My first and largest debt of gratitude belongs to the women incarcerated at East State whose experiences and observations serve as the heart and soul of this book. The questions they asked of the circumstances they found themselves in are what motivated this study. They trusted me with their stories and I took that trust very seriously. One of my greatest regrets is that confidentiality guarantees prevent me from thanking each of you by name. I hope you will recognize yourselves and your contributions in here. This project has had a number of different institutional homes. I began collecting data when I was a graduate student at the University of Delaware. My mentor, Ruth Horowitz, saw the possibilities in this work long before I did and spent years (years!) encouraging me to turn it into a book. I am forever grateful to her. While in graduate school I was influenced and encouraged by a number of wonderful scholars, including Ronnie J. Steinberg, Kathleen Tierney, Sandra Harding, Valerie Hans, Susan Miller, Frank Scarpitti , Heather Smith, Chrissy Saum, and Kristy Miller. Jim Inciardi made this research possible—literally. Although he and I reached different conclusions about the effectiveness of this type of treatment programming, he was steadfast in his support of my work and I am thankful for the many opportunities he afforded me. Rest in peace, Jim, you will always be larger than life to me. At Northern Illinois University, Jim Thomas took me under his wing and helped me broaden my perspective on U.S. prison policy. Jim and I have logged myriad hours traveling to and touring American prisons together. He continues to be one of my very favorite people to talk shop with. Kristen Myers was a great colleague and friend. She read and commented on early versions of this, well before it blossomed into a book project. At the University of Massachusetts–Amherst, I was fortunate to work in a department where faculty and graduate students enthusiastically engaged with one another’s work. I am an infinitely better sociologist because of my time xiv > xv stories. I would particularly like to thank the students and alums at Villanova ’s “satellite campus”—the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Graterford. Thank you guys for the encouragement and for sharing your own experiences and analyses of incarceration with me. Thanks especially to Charles “Mubdi” Coley for reminding me to always keep punching. I hope this book does all of you guys proud. Books, of course, are not just born of academic endeavors. They are also the products of personal lives. My friends helped me overcome various obstacles along the way and gave me the confidence to sit down in front of a blank screen and write. I am grateful to be surrounded by such an inspiring, talented, and dedicated group of people. My partners in crime, Kevin Brown and Albert Yee, were always willing to indulge my desire for new adventures and were vigilant about reminding me when it was time to settle down and work. Shawn “Shizz” Charles gave me good advice when I needed it and managed to return me to calm when panic set in. The “entourage” crew (Jamie Blau, Jenny “Hollywood” Perkins, Dawn Eichen, and Anna Smith) kept me sane, kept me laughing, and kept me dancing throughout the last grueling months of writing. Khalil Asad Muhammad (Ervin Davis) was my sounding board throughout much of the writing process—he offered advice, encouragement, and reminded me regularly that he is “always on [my] side.” Brittnie Aiello, Kara Baker, Sarah Becker, and Jamie Blau are the living, breathing embodiment of the aphorism “sisterhood is powerful.” Whenever I needed them, they were there. I am forever in their debt. My husband, Brad Mellinger, has been a crucial part of this project from the moment I first walked through those prison doors right up through the evening I wrote the very last lines of the manuscript’s conclusion. Words are not enough to express my gratitude for his loyalty, generosity, love, and support . I love you, Mels. Thank you for everything, but most especially, thank you for always believing. This page intentionally left blank ...