The motherhood penalty : exploration mothering experience as a pathway to crime for women incarcerated in the Johannesburg Female Correctional Centre

Abstract

Globally there has been a rise in the population of incarcerated women over recent decades. Yet, despite this increase, female offenders only represent about 5% of the total incarcerated population. South Africa is no different – female offenders on average total less than 3% of the incarcerated population in South Africa, one of the ten largest correctional systems in the world. This small representation of women in the correctional system often leads to the interpretation that their pathways to offending and experiences of incarceration are the same as those of male offenders, delegitimising any role that gender may play in offending behaviour. The research topic of this doctoral study aims to investigate whether these women’s symbolic or pragmatic status as mothers motivated their crimes and how this occurrence may argue that the socioeconomic challenges faced by these women play a role in their criminalisation. By utilising a feminist pathways research approach, the unlawful actions of seventeen women incarcerated in the Johannesburg Female Correctional Centre is contextualised and reveals conduits to women’s incarceration that primarily involve victimisation and socially constructed “gendered vulnerabilities” that are indissolubly interconnected with poverty and oppression. As seen through their life history narratives, this confluence of factors, coupled with fulfilling the dual roles of provider and caregiver as a mother, contribute to their pathway to offending. Ultimately the research allows for a gender-sensitive analysis of the unique challenges incarcerated women in South Africa face, and the role agency and patriarchy has played in their pathways taken.

Isihloko: Inhlawulo yokuba ngumama – ukuhlolisisa izimo zokuba ngomama okudlula kuzo abantu besifazane baseNingizimu Afrika ababoshiwe njengento ewumzila obaholela ekwephuleni umthetho. Isishayelelo ngokufingqiwe: Emhlabeni jikelele, kulawa mashuminyaka asanda kudlula sandile isibalo sabesifazane ababoshiwe. Yize kunalokho kwenyuka kwesibalo, abesifazane abasuke bephule umthetho bayingxenye ethi ayibe ngama-5% enani selilonke labantu ababoshiwe. NeNingizimu Afrika nayo akwehlukile kuyo, kubantu ababoshiwe lapha eNingizimu Afrika abesifazane balinganiselwa kuma-2.2% kuphela esamba sesisonke sabantu ababoshiwe, kanti futhi iNingizimu Afrika iyingxenye yalezo eziyishumi okuyizona ezinkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni kwezokuqondisa izigwegwe. Lesi sibalo esincane sabesifazane abasezindaweni zokuhlumelelisa izimilo sivamise ukuhunyushwa kuthiwe leyo mizila yempilo ebaholela ekuphuleni umthetho kanye nezimo abadlula kuzona ngenkathi beboshiwe iyefana neyabesilisa abasuke bephule umthetho, ngalokho bese lingashaywa ndiva noma iliphi iqhaza lezobulili kulezo zenzo zokwephula umthetho. Okokuqala, lesi sihloko esihlongoziwe salolu cwaningo lweziqu zobudokotela sihlose ukucacisa ubunjalo bezimpawu zomuntu ngamunye futhi nalezo zinto ezihambelana ngokufanayo kubantu besifazane abasezindaweni zokuhlumelelisa izimilo eNingizimu Afrika. Okwesibili, kuhloswe ukucubungulisisa ukuthi ngabe lesi simo abazithola bekusona njengabantu abangomama akusona yini noma cha esadala ukuthi benze lawo macala, kanye nokuthi ekwenzekeni kwalokho, zizathu zini ezingaba khona zokuthi izinselelo kwezenhlalo nezomnotho ezibhekana nalaba bantu besifazane yizona eziba negalelo lokuthi bazithole sebengene kwizenzo zokwephula umthetho. Ngokusebenzisa indlela yokucwaninga evuna amalungelo nesimo sabesifazane, lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuthi ekugcineni kube nokuziqondisisa izinto ezenzeka kumuntu ngayedwana kanye nakumphakathi, okuyizona zinto ezidala ukuthi laba bantu besifazane bagcine sebeqe inqubo elandelwayo emphakathini. Ngokusebenzisa ingxoxo-mibuzo ecubungula umlando wempilo, ngalokho kubhekisiswa ukungena ezenzweni zokwephula umthetho kwabantu besifazane abayishumi nesikhombisa ababoshwe eSikhungweni Sabesifazane Sokuhlumelelisa Izimilo saseJohannesburg, ngokubheka ubunjalo besimo okwenzeka ngaphansi kwaso lokho kwephulwa komthetho. Lokhu kuveza ithuba lokuhlaziya ngokusebenzisa indlela ebhekela ezobulili mayelana nezinselelo ezingefaniswe nalutho ababhekana nazo abesifazane ababoshiwe eNingizimu Afrika, futhi ngalokho-ke bese kunikwa laba bantu besifazane ulwazi lokuguqula izindlela abasuke sebehamba ngazo. Izindikimba ezingumongo: UMnyango Wezokuhlumelelisa Izimilo, iNingizimu Afrika, owesifazane ophule umthetho, isifundo sezobugebengu eseibhekelela ezobulili, izimo ophile kuzona, imizila eholela ekwephuleni umthetho, ingxoxomibuzo mayelana nomlando ngempilo, isayikholoji, ezobulili, indaba yezinto ezihambelanayo.

Titel: Die straf van moederskap – verkenning van die moederskapervaring van vroue in gevangeskap in Suid-Afrika se ervaring as 'n pad tot midaad Abstrak: Daar was die afgelope dekades wêreldwyd 'n toename in die populasie van vroue in gevangeskap. Ten spyte van die toename, verteenwoordig vroue slegs omtrent 5% van die totale populasie in gevangeskap. Suid-Afrika is in geen opsig anders nie – vroue-oortreders verteenwoordig gemiddeld slegs 2.2% van die populasie in gevangeskap in Suid-Afrika met een van die tien grootste korrektiewe stelsels in die wêreld. Hierdie klein verteenwoordiging van vroue in die korrektiewe stelsel lei dikwels tot die verklaring dat hul pad na oortreding en ervaring van gevangeskap dieselfde as dié van manlike oortreders is, wat enige rol wat gender ook al mag speel ongegrond maak. Die onderwerp van die navorsing wat vir die doktorale studie voorgestel is, is eerstens daarop gemik om die individuele kenmerke en dit wat vroue in gevangeskap in Suid-Afrika se korrektiewe fasiliteite gemeen het, uit te stip. Dit is tweedens daarop gemik om te verken of hierdie vrouens se simboliese of pragmatiese status as moeders hul misdade motiveer het, en hoe daar as gevolg van die voorkoms geredeneer kan word dat die sosioekonomiese uitdagings wat deur die vroue in die gesig gestaar word 'n rol in kriminalisering speel. Deur die feministiese benadering van navorsing te volg, word daar met dié studie daarop gemik om uiteindelik 'n begrip te vorm van individuele en sosiale prosesse wat daartoe lei dat hierdie vroue sosiale norme oortree. Deur lewensgeskiedenisonderhoude te gebruik, word die kriminalisering van die handelinge van 17 vroue in gevangeskap in Johannessburg se korrektiewe sentrum vir vroue gekontektualiseer. Dit bied geleentheid vir 'n gendersentitiewe ontleding van die unieke uitdagings wat vroue in gevangeskap in Suid-Afrika in die gesig staar, en voorsien vroue van die kennis om alternatiewe paaie te volg. Kerntemas: Departmenent van Korrektiewe Dienste, Suid-Afrika, vroueoortreder, feministiese kriminologie, geleefde ervaring, pad na misdaad, lewensgeskiedenisonderhoude, sielkunde, gender, narratief.