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Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women

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In 1974, women imprisoned at New York's maximum-security prison at Bedford Hills staged what is known as the August Rebellion. Protesting the brutal beating of a fellow prisoner, the women fought off guards, holding seven of them hostage, and took over sections of the prison. While many have heard of the 1971 Attica prison uprising, the August Rebellion remains relatively unknown even in activist circles.  Resistance Behind Bars is determined to challenge and change such oversights. As it examines daily struggles against appalling prison conditions and injustices, Resistance documents both collective organizing and individual resistance among women incarcerated in the U.S. Emphasizing women's agency in resisting the conditions of their confinement through forming peer education groups, clandestinely arranging ways for children to visit mothers in distant prisons and raising public awareness about their lives, Resistance seeks to spark further discussion and research into the lives of incarcerated women and galvanize much-needed outside support for their struggles.

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2009

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Victoria Law

12 books299 followers

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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Elevate Difference.
379 reviews88 followers
July 25, 2009
Of the many staggering statistics in Victoria Law’s eight-year study, Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles Of Incarcerated Women, the following fact will make your jaw drop: the number of incarcerated women in United States prisons has almost doubled from 68,468 to 104,848 between 1995 and 2004.

Like their male counterparts, this population of women is overwhelmingly comprised of African Americans and Latinas, which can be largely attributed to racial profiling—not, as popular mythology might suggest—an ad hoc increase in crime amongst these ethnic groups. Law’s fascinating text is born from her personal experience as a teenager who narrowly avoided incarceration herself, and the friendships she cultivated with women who were not so lucky. As Law raised her own consciousness about the prison-industrial—complex, she began investigating incarcerated women’s involvement in prisoners-rights movements and was told flat-out by other activists that “Women don’t organize.”

Resistance Behind Bars is a compelling testament to the untruth of this statement, and offers innumerable examples of women’s prison uprisings. One such instance is a 1975 sit-down demonstration for improved medical care at the North Carolina Correctional Center for Women, in which women fought back against prison guards attempting to beat and herd them into a gymnasium. Creatively, these prisoners used volleyball net poles, chunks of concrete and anything else immediately available, causing the state to invoke the aid of over 100 guards from other prisons to pacify the rebellion.

Law’s exhaustively researched text includes anecdotal information she harvested from interviews, letters, and conversations with prisoners as well as government reports and major media sources. Most importantly, Law highlights the deeply gendered nature of women’s prison experiences, which cuts across virtually all aspects of incarcerated life. Sexual abuse, motherhood, physical labor, education, medical care, and the extent to which women prisoners’ activism receives media attention are all areas that Law treats with a distinct sense of urgency. What’s more, Resistance Behind Bars has bonus features that underpin Law’s activist project: a list of resources organized according to region for how readers can get involved in the prisoners-rights movement, and an annotated list of recommended readings.

Review by Heather Brown
Profile Image for Mel.
366 reviews30 followers
March 2, 2014
A while back, I wrote about how frustrating it was that people were not paying attention to the prison hunger strikes in California and elsewhere. But as little attention as men's resistance gets, women's resistance gets even less. And while it is true that there are many more men than women in prison, it is also true that, per the sentencing project:

The number of women in prison, a third of whom are incarcerated for drug offenses, is increasing at nearly double the rate for men. These women often have significant histories of physical and sexual abuse, high rates of HIV infection, and substance abuse. Large-scale women's imprisonment has resulted in an increasing number of children who suffer from their mother's incarceration and the loss of family ties


Long before Orange is the New Black, Victoria Law wrote about the history of prisons and how women have resisted. The book is broken down by issues - health care, sexual abuse, education, labor... For each issue Law shares the stories that prisoners have shared with her about how the system has affected them. She puts their stories in historical and political context. And she shows how those women pushed back.

I've read a lot of books, articles, and research about women in prison over the last 10 years, but this book covered new territory. Most people focus only on the victimization of the women. Rarely do you hear from the women themselves. Even more rarely do you hear about the grievances, court cases, self organized groups, hunger strikes, whistle blowing - about the women's agency.

And unlike most of the material I come across, this book is written from a radical perspective. It doesn't set out a handful of legislative reforms that could make things better. In fact, it shows how legislative reforms have hurt the women. Even reforms like The Prison Rape Elimination Act that were ostensibly meant to help prisoners, ended up hurting women prisoners. Women are written up for sexual misconduct if they have any contact with other women in the prison. No hugs. No high fives.

Instead of legislation, you will get an extensive list of recommended reading, some resources for prisoners, and encouragement to reach out to these women and support them in how they chose to resist.
Profile Image for Gabby N.
67 reviews5 followers
January 23, 2021
Wonderfully written book on the oppression of women by the U.S. carceral state. Most of the testimonies of women are just absolutely heartbreaking. I cried several times while reading this. The book is not just about the types of oppression these women face, but more specifically how they resist and defy them. Law notes how women are missing from most literature, media cover, and activist focus on prison / prisoners - it's primarily male dominated. Even laws or reforms that affect federal and state prison are created with a masculine perspective of prisoners, and while they may improve conditions for men they can sometimes make things worse for women. Women prisoners have specific needs and issues that differ from their male counterparts such as pregnancy, child birth, and gynecological health. Women in prison are also 3x more likely than men to be assaulted and 3x more likely to be living with HIV or AIDS. Women also deal more often with custody battles. Law emphasizes that just because there isn't much coverage on women's resistance in prison doesn't mean that it doesn't happen, it does and often. Their ways of resistance are also different compared to men. While men are more often to riot and go on hunger or work strikes, women will resist in regards to fighting for better education, creating peer resources, building communities and solidarity among themselves, writing grievances and taking cases to court (despite inevitable retaliation from prison staff), helping each other retain custody of children and much more. This is just a basic overview of the the things covered in this book, Law goes into great detail using testimonials and research to cite instances of oppression and resistance from the 1970s till 2009 when it was originally published. It's second addition, published in 2012, goes into even greater historical context of incarcerated women and includes a section on transgender, transsexual, intersex, and gender-variant people in prison. I must note that Law discusses all of this from a radical leftist perspective and emphasizes abolition as the only way to truly end this type of oppression. Law also includes many resources for readers to learn more and also a detailed resource list of organizations that help women in prison.
Profile Image for Alan Mills.
574 reviews30 followers
February 16, 2015
Excellent book for those new to the topic. Law mixes startling statistics (the number of women in prison DOUBLED in recent years), and tells some great anecdotes about how women are both abused, and marginalized, even compared to the terrible treatment given male prisoners. However, digging through the anecdotes, what becomes clear is that with two big exceptions, there is very little resistance behind bars by women.

The two exceptions--scattered throughout the book, and thus not as clear as they should be just how exceptional they are--are California and Bedford Hills in NYS. In both cases, extended progressive organizing on several fronts by incarcerated women was made possible by sustained outside support. In California, there is a specific nonprofit devoted to women and children behind bars. In New York, Bedford Hills is located--unusually for a prison--in wealthy, white Westchester County, home of lots of wealthy liberals. And Bedford Hills itself housed several well educated, politically aware, "famous" prisoners who could articulate their plight, and attract interest from the surrounding community. Under these conditions, women's isomers were able to develop educational programs, health programs, journalism, etc., all with an eye to making their voices heard and their lives better.

The real moral of Vicki Law's book is that outside support is absolutely critical, but too often lacking. We all are worse off as a result, as voices from the inside--which should have a key role in the current debates about criminal justice reform--are effectively silenced.

Read the book, then take action!
Profile Image for honeybean.
415 reviews7 followers
June 18, 2018
This book had me in tears at many points. It really brought the injustice done to women in prison to light: including such horrific acts as shackling pregnant women during childbirth, sexual assault, differentiating power plays, poor healthcare, and the refusal to acknowledge transgender women as women, ultimately leading to rape and HIV-related preventable deaths. I would love if everyone read this book, if just to learn about the monstrosity that is the American penal system.
Profile Image for tyler.
81 reviews1 follower
March 11, 2023
“the premise of prisons lies in obedience and control” (15); stemming from a concerning lack of resources and analysis of the history of women’s resistance against the prison industrial complex, this book examines the ways in which incarcerated women survive, grow, love, and advocate during their time behind bars. by extension, the author considers the ways in which this resistance is different from that of their male counterparts, and analyzes why women teachers, students, lawyers, survivors, activists, and mothers receive less recognition for the vital, ongoing work they do in fostering community and care within the carceral system.

citing ongoing studies and interviews with incarcerated women, this book examines the ways in which women in prison fight for themselves and others while being forced to live in a system that denies them of their autonomy and livelihoods at every turn, sparing no detail in outlining rampant systemic abuse and retaliation towards those who dare to self-advocate against a system that demands complete and absolute subordination. law argues that “prisons act not only as sites of social control, but also…as state-sanctioned sites of violence against women, particularly women of color, poor women and those who transgress social norms,” while also asserting that incarceration doesn’t stop crime, but instead shifts “money and resources away from other public entities, such as education, housing, health care, drug treatment, and other societal supports” (169) that would keep vulnerable populations from incarceration in the first place.

some of the reviews i saw called this book repetitive, and it is in a way, but only in that there is so much widespread abuse not only enabled but promoted by the system that the repetition asserts just how pervasive this issue is. by extension, the repetition serves to show the national scale of these issues, citing protests and instances of injustice across multiple states, from federal prisons to migrant detainment centers.

we all know the carceral system is monstrous — a body that cares more about ensuring an easily controllable labor force than creating anything remotely resembling “justice.” the examples given in the text reasserted my existing understanding of the continuous abuse that occurs in these places, with complicit administrations turning a blind eye to human rights violations, and working tireless to isolate, dehumanize, and disenfranchise incarcerated populations, opting instead to maintain control through intimidation.

reading this book inspired me to look into solidarity projects in my town. prisoner express is a non-profit which connects volunteers to people who are incarcerated, facilitating letter-writing campaigns and art programs. i highly recommend finding similar programs in your town — a simple letter reminding someone that they’re seen and respected goes a long way. law begins to wrap the book with a quote from Rachel Galindo, an incarcerated mother at La Vista Correctional Facility, who says that “the communication between two humans concerning their hopes, ideas and their plights is what allows them to bond in resistance against a system that affects everyone in many different ways.”

solidarity forever — human rights shouldn’t and can’t be denied based on circumstance, take time to extend compassion and support to those incarcerated in your community.
Profile Image for Courtney.
252 reviews1 follower
November 7, 2018
Loved this book. Recommended for anyone interested in prison abolition, activism, working with women prisoners and/or even those who want to learn more about the subjects. I will definitely reread and am excited to use this as a reference for my semester project and possible future projects.
Profile Image for Tedi Beemer.
321 reviews1 follower
January 30, 2024
booktok review for this be like: 🎀✊ tfw the power of radical girlhood 👏✨
1 review
February 24, 2017
This book opened my eyes to the day-to-day devastation that incarceration inflicts upon women and the myriad of ways women have resisted a system that seems to strive to destroy them physically, mentally, and emotionally. I am particularly thankful for the new section included "A Note on Transgender, Transsexual, Intersex and Gender-Variant People in Prison" as well as the section on resistance in immigration facilities as there is practically nothing known about their experiences with incarceration. Every topic discussed in this book is painfully relevant.
Profile Image for Sara.
167 reviews9 followers
January 28, 2017
I loved this book. It does a great job of capturing the diverse ways, both large and small, that women in prison resist the daily injustices they are faced with. The stories of resistance are given context with a thoughtful presentation of what those injustices look like, both through statistics and through personal stories.
Profile Image for Melissa.
160 reviews
May 6, 2017
A powerful and accessible read that also provides resources for further involvement. While the experiences of some incarcerated women surface repeatedly throughout the book, this work emphasizes the many movements and works done by incarcerated women and their allies nationwide without relying on the heroine narrative of one or two extraordinary individuals.

Right from the get go, Law must combat sexist ideology on what women do and do not do, can and cannot do. It's not that the protests and organizing of incarcerated women are by nature “quieter” or lesser forms of resistances, but society will already categorize them as so because it is work done by women. Is an uprising that results in the murder of prisoners and guards more effective than a class action lawsuit? What if both bring needed changes and public outcry? By whose standards are we judging these resistances?

And these women are fighting on more fronts; the abolition of the prison industrial complex is there as well as the giant human rights issues to end solitary confinement and provide adequate health care. In addition, they struggle for the right to not be raped by guards, to give birth without dangerous constraints, and to retain parental guardianship of their offspring. Yet these fights will be demeaned from the beginning, no matter the results.
Profile Image for Maud.
144 reviews17 followers
July 21, 2019
Hi wow amazing!! the facts were not surprising (we all know prison abuses its inmates and is totally destructive of society, racist, classist, all that) but striking to see them laid out one after the other.
And yet there’s such hope here of women (including a now additional chapter on trans women) advocating for themselves, giving so much for others, sharing resources, providing the love that these prisoners usually find no where else in their lives.
Especially cool to me was the last chapter on a historical overview and a critique of prison reform. while making prison less unbearable we have to be wary of stopping there - we must abolish the system.
very practical, includes resources, very well researched and at the same time managing to be interesting and well written. It was a fast read once I found time to not be in school.
FTP. I’m lending this copy out and when I thought i lost it for 3 days got another copy so I’m giving that one away to a friend as well. read this buy this and share this!!
Profile Image for Ryan.
386 reviews14 followers
August 1, 2017
Another book that I should have read years ago. Even for someone as deep in prison abolition work as I am, there was still some shocking statistics in this study. My only complaint was that it was out of date, which obviously isn't the author's fault
Profile Image for Leslie.
40 reviews
January 14, 2018
While I love the overall message of the book, it is extremely repetitive and could have been arranged better.
24 reviews
June 2, 2022
After finishing not hard to understand why these women feel no recourse, no hope. Brutal
Profile Image for Meri Elena.
Author 6 books7 followers
February 19, 2023
Parts of this book are starting to get a bit dated, but it is (unfortunately) still extremely relevant.
Profile Image for Heatherblakely.
1,170 reviews7 followers
November 26, 2018
Great starting off point for those who are, like me, new to the subject of prison reform/replacement and the issues within prisons. Some of the language is a little out-dated, obviously, but there is an effort to be inclusive (there was an added chapter about immigration detainment centers as well as how trans people are being treated in prisons).
Profile Image for Kate.
Author 1 book3 followers
July 23, 2009
Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women is a premier effort to increase the visibility of women’s prison resistance in the United States. Victoria Law has dedicated much of her life to prisoners’ resistance, honing in on the lack of discussion about the specific plight that women face in prison, and their efforts to challenge the prison system. Law started off self-publishing prisoners’ stories in zines and circulating them in publications like Clamor, Punk Planet, and off our backs. A lot of this work is represented and revisited here, in Law’s first book, Resistance Behind Bars.

The major success of Resistance Behind Bars is that it is written so that every person can understand it -- Law uses effective statistics as well as stories and examples of prison life straight from the voices of the women living them. While maintaining this easy-to-understand framework, Law employs a thorough understanding of the gender, race, and class dynamics that contribute to the unique struggle of women prisoners as well as the invisibility of this struggle.

The invisibility of women prisoners’ specific struggle, as well as their acts of resistance, is largely due to the “un-sexy” labor historically allotted to women. While male prisoners may have more time to concern themselves with organizing, women often still have a slew of other concerns from both outside and inside the prison system - such as childcare, adequate healthcare, and visitation rights, among many others. Resistance Behind Bars sheds light on all the different forms of resistance - from creating AIDS awareness groups, to communal teaching, to emotional support, to skill-sharing, to labor and hunger strikes, and so on, that these women take on, in spite of all the stakes against them.

Law redefines and broadens the notions of resistance to include the everyday individual challenges that women prisoners fight both for themselves and for their sisters. Along with Law’s unique and powerful document, she includes a thorough resource list, a recommended reading list on prison issues, and a glossary for further accessibility. Resistance Behind Bars is a must-read for anyone interested in prison resistance as well as gender, race, and class struggles across the board.

-- Kate Wadkins (for Maximum Rocknroll)
Profile Image for Gregory Nipper.
2 reviews
August 30, 2012
Anyone interested in this excellent book should be sure to get the new 2nd printing (with the large handcuff on the cover; on GoodReads here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...).
It's been expanded and improved considerably, updating many of the facts, statistics, references, community organizations and recommended readings throughout the book. It also has a new epilogue and a brand-new chapter on "Transgender, Transsexual, Intersex and Gender-Variant People in Prison."
Profile Image for Samantha Onorato.
1 review
Read
July 26, 2012
brilliant book that sheds some much needed light on the struggles of incarcerated women. I also love that Law has a list of resources for scholars, activists, and anyone who wants to take a stand against the sexist, racist, transphobic prison industrial complex
Profile Image for Monica.
8 reviews1 follower
May 24, 2013
Although this book is not particularly well-written, it is very interesting. It was an eye-opening read that gives the reader a lot to think about, far beyond the topic of resistance by women prisoners.
144 reviews
April 30, 2015
Super informative. Very telling. It was an amazing read, I read the second edition first, and ill read the first edition second. Its a essential component of educating oneself about prison labor, especially regarding the treatment of women and grassroots prisoner organizing among female inmates.
Profile Image for J. Rogue.
Author 4 books21 followers
Want to read
August 25, 2009
Vikki is awesome, I can't wait to read this!
Profile Image for Michelle.
140 reviews10 followers
March 3, 2011
Interesting exploration into the fundamental causes and reasons of the differences between men's and women's prisons and prisoners.
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