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Delinquent girls as activists : Insider activism and carceral welfare
Wilson, Jacqueline Z. Carlton, Bree
Wilson, Jacqueline Z.
Carlton, Bree
Abstract
The article examines the motivation and role of the insider activism that resulted in the preservation of a major historical site of female incarceration, the Parramatta Female Factory Precinct, in suburban Sydney. For much of the 20th century the site was a “Girls’ Home,” in which children who had committed no offense were incarcerated under child welfare regulations and literally treated like criminals. Life in the institution was characterized by routine extreme maltreatment of children, many of whom have carried the psychological legacy of their time there throughout their lives. A group of survivors, moved to preserve and reclaim the space, spent many years contending with obdurate and indifferent bureaucracies before successfully having the site Heritage-listed, and it is now a member of the international Sites of Conscience. The Precinct’s significance as a site of feminist carceral history is discussed, and its place in today’s cultural landscape examined.
Keywords
activism, female incarceration, child incarceration, child welfare, care-leavers, Parramatta Female Factory Precinct, Sites of Conscience
Date
2022
Type
Journal article
Journal
Space and Culture
Book
Volume
25
Issue
2
Page Range
245-254
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Arts and Humanities
Faculty of Education and Arts
Faculty of Education and Arts
Collections
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
All rights reserved
File Access
Controlled