Skip to content

Booksellers & Trade Customers: Sign up for online bulk buying at trade.atlanticbooks.com for wholesale discounts

Booksellers: Create Account on our B2B Portal for wholesale discounts

Whores and Thieves of the Worst Kind: A Study of Women, Crime, and Prisons, 1835-2000

by L. Mara Dodge
Save 17% Save 17%
Current price ₹3,792.00
Original price ₹4,551.00
Original price ₹4,551.00
Original price ₹4,551.00
(-17%)
₹3,792.00
Current price ₹3,792.00

Imported Edition - Ships in 18-21 Days

Free Shipping in India on orders above Rs. 500

Request Bulk Quantity Quote
+91
Book cover type: Paperback
  • ISBN13: 9780875806112
  • Binding: Paperback
  • Subject: N/A
  • Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press
  • Publisher Imprint: Northern Illinois University Press
  • Publication Date:
  • Pages: 352
  • Original Price: USD 31.95
  • Language: English
  • Edition: N/A
  • Item Weight: 540 grams
  • BISAC Subject(s): NON-CLASSIFIABLE

Prostitutes, shoplifters, vagrants, murderesses--Dodge tracks the history of such "improper" women as she explores the history of female incarceration in Illinois from 1835 to the present. In court and in prison, these women--some who are considered beyond all hope of reformation--have received vastly different treatment than their male counterparts.

A woman's fate in court often hung on officials' estimates of her moral and sexual reputation. Alleged promiscuity, illegitimate births, venereal disease, interracial relationships, or use of alcohol could condemn her in the eyes of judge and jury. Ethnic and social prejudice played a role, too, as most incarcerated women poor, workingclass, immigrants, or members of a racial minority.

In women's prisons, the slightest misbehavior--from poor table manners to inappropriate dress--could lead to disciplinary action. Guards vigilantly monitored female friendships, suspecting lesbianism in the most innocent acts. Instead of creating docile and dutiful subjects, such treatment stirred resistance among the prisoners and fostered a powerful inmate subculture.

Highly readable yet theoretically sophisticated, Whores and Thieves of the Worst Kind provides a striking collective portrait of incarcerated women. Drawn from extensive primary sources, the voices of female prisoners emerge powerfully and poignantly as individuals tell their stories.

L. Mara Dodge, at one time a college instructor within the Illinois prison system, is Assistant Professor of History at Westfield State College in Massachusetts.

Trusted for over 49 years

Family Owned Company

Secure Payment

All Major Credit Cards/Debit Cards/UPI & More Accepted

New & Authentic Products

India's Largest Distributor

Need Support?

Whatsapp Us