Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book offers a critical understanding of the impact of imprisonment on the lives of women, their families and their communities. It analyses the impact of Baroness Jean Corston on women's imprisonment in England and Wales. The book focuses on the criminalisation of women, critiquing narratives that prioritise individual choice and responsibilisation. It also analyses the transformative value of penal reforms targeting gender discrimination and the provision of effective alternatives to deliver justice for criminalised women. The book considers the relevance of Corston to the incarceration of women in South Africa. It presents the case for decarceration in the short term as a precursor to the eventual abolition of prisons. The book demonstrates the broader significance of harsh and discriminatory punishment in a brief excursion into the institutionalised racism within Australian prisons.