Hidden Healers

The Unexpected Ways Women in Prison Help Each Other Survive

Stephanie S. Covington (Columbia University)

$37.95

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

John Wiley & Sons Inc
27 June 2024

Gender studies: women; Penology & punishment; Psychology

A gripping and deeply-felt examination of incarcerated women's lives

With unflinching clarity, Hidden Healers cuts through the myths about incarcerated women to expose the all-too-real brutalities they face within a criminal legal system never designed for them. Backed by three decades' experience providing therapeutic programs inside prisons across the United States, trauma specialist Dr. Stephanie Covington has used her unique access to amplify the voices of the women themselves. Their stories illuminate realities most never see: that most women who get caught up in the criminal justice system have themselves been victims of harm, that the degradations of today's prisons and jails only magnify their trauma- and that incarcerated women regularly risk punishment to tend to one another's well-being in unexpected acts of kindness. Grounded in research and rich with personal narrative, Hidden Healers is a poignant and riveting look inside women's prisons and jails- and what we can do to help.

By: Stephanie S. Covington (Columbia University)
Imprint: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 226mm, Width: 150mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 295g
ISBN: 9781394254392
ISBN 10: 1394254393
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 27 June 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Acknowledgments xxi A Note From a Hidden Healer: It’s Time for Change xxiii Introduction 1 Just the Facts 11 Part One: Entering the System 23 Introduction to the Criminal Legal System for Women in the United States 25 Pathways to Prison: Understanding Trauma and Addiction 43 First Days 51 Part Two: Living Inside 61 Culture and Environment 63 Working Inside the Culture of Corrections 81 Finding Your Program 83 Food 97 Mothering from Inside 107 Grief and Loss 123 Developing Relationships 129 Medical and Mental Health Care 141 Aging in Custody 153 Celebrating Special Days 159 Remembering Those Who Don’t Survive 168 Part Three: The Journey Home 171 Gate Fever 173 The Work of Reentry 179 Healing after Incarceration 187 Part Four: What We Can Do 193 Envisioning Alternatives 195 Do One Small Thing 207 Further Learning 213 Organizations to Support 219 Sources 227 Author Biography 235 Book Group Discussion Questions 237 Also by the Author 239

Stephanie S. Covington, PhD, LCSW is an internationally recognized pioneer in the fields of addiction, trauma, and gender-responsive care. For three decades she has created and facilitated trauma-informed programs and curricula for use in criminal–legal settings across the United States and globally. Educated at Columbia University and the Union Institute, Dr. Covington is co-director of the Institute for Relational Development and the Center for Gender & Justice in Del Mar, California.