“We’re Not Being Treated Like Mothers”: Listening to the Stories of First Nations Mothers in Prison
This article is based on research with over 160 First Nations women in prisons in New South Wales, Australia. The research identified the lived experience of prison sentences for First Nations women in prison. Our research methodology was guided by an Aboriginal women’s advisory body called sista2si...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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Series: | Laws |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-471X/10/3/74 |
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author | Thalia Anthony Gemma Sentance Larissa Behrendt |
author_facet | Thalia Anthony Gemma Sentance Larissa Behrendt |
author_sort | Thalia Anthony |
collection | DOAJ |
description | This article is based on research with over 160 First Nations women in prisons in New South Wales, Australia. The research identified the lived experience of prison sentences for First Nations women in prison. Our research methodology was guided by an Aboriginal women’s advisory body called sista2sista. It was based on the principles of <i>Dadirri</i> in which we listened to the stories of First Nations women in prison <i>on their terms</i>. Consequently, many stories we heard were not about the criminal sentencing process itself, but about the impacts of imprisonment on their capacity to be caregivers in the community, including as mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, teachers and role models. The findings from this research are dual. First, the importance of listening to and empowering First Nations women in prison in policy making that concerns First Nations women. Second, the need to decarcerate First Nations mothers and listen and respond to their needs, expectations, priorities and aspirations, to ensure they are supported in fulfilling their role and responsibility to care, nurture, strengthen and lead their families and communities. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:31:28Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-f87faca255b54cb0abf39880435851bb |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2075-471X |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:31:28Z |
publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Laws |
spelling | doaj.art-f87faca255b54cb0abf39880435851bb2023-11-22T13:55:04ZengMDPI AGLaws2075-471X2021-09-011037410.3390/laws10030074“We’re Not Being Treated Like Mothers”: Listening to the Stories of First Nations Mothers in PrisonThalia Anthony0Gemma Sentance1Larissa Behrendt2Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, AustraliaFaculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, AustraliaJumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, AustraliaThis article is based on research with over 160 First Nations women in prisons in New South Wales, Australia. The research identified the lived experience of prison sentences for First Nations women in prison. Our research methodology was guided by an Aboriginal women’s advisory body called sista2sista. It was based on the principles of <i>Dadirri</i> in which we listened to the stories of First Nations women in prison <i>on their terms</i>. Consequently, many stories we heard were not about the criminal sentencing process itself, but about the impacts of imprisonment on their capacity to be caregivers in the community, including as mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, teachers and role models. The findings from this research are dual. First, the importance of listening to and empowering First Nations women in prison in policy making that concerns First Nations women. Second, the need to decarcerate First Nations mothers and listen and respond to their needs, expectations, priorities and aspirations, to ensure they are supported in fulfilling their role and responsibility to care, nurture, strengthen and lead their families and communities.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-471X/10/3/74prisonsfirst nations motherssystemic discriminationchild protectioncolonialism |
spellingShingle | Thalia Anthony Gemma Sentance Larissa Behrendt “We’re Not Being Treated Like Mothers”: Listening to the Stories of First Nations Mothers in Prison Laws prisons first nations mothers systemic discrimination child protection colonialism |
title | “We’re Not Being Treated Like Mothers”: Listening to the Stories of First Nations Mothers in Prison |
title_full | “We’re Not Being Treated Like Mothers”: Listening to the Stories of First Nations Mothers in Prison |
title_fullStr | “We’re Not Being Treated Like Mothers”: Listening to the Stories of First Nations Mothers in Prison |
title_full_unstemmed | “We’re Not Being Treated Like Mothers”: Listening to the Stories of First Nations Mothers in Prison |
title_short | “We’re Not Being Treated Like Mothers”: Listening to the Stories of First Nations Mothers in Prison |
title_sort | we re not being treated like mothers listening to the stories of first nations mothers in prison |
topic | prisons first nations mothers systemic discrimination child protection colonialism |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-471X/10/3/74 |
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