Gender, Masculinity, Contemporary History and the Psychiatric Secure Estate: Back to the Future?

ABSTRACT
In contemporary history, the use of gendered treatments for women with mental health issues in
the psychiatric secure estate is an issue of major concern in Great Britain. This paper examines women
and gender in the psychiatric secure estate from a structural analysis drawing influence from Connell’s
(1987) theoretical and conceptual work on hegemonic masculinity. Bio-psychological approaches
have almost dominated academic discussion in relation to women’s incarceration and there is an
reflexive need to develop other sociological frameworks on hegemonic masculinity because dominant
bio-psychological models have failed to identify underlying configurations which combine to oppress
women whilst simultaneously reproducing consequences of masculinity and power within institutional
structures.

References
[1] Adshead, G., & Morris, F. (1995). Mental health. Another time, another place. The
Health Service Journal, 105 (5439), 24.
[2] Allen, H. (1987). Rendering them harmless: The professional portrayal of women
charged with serious violent crimes. Gender, crime and justice, 81-94.
[3] Bartlett, A., Somers, N., Fiander, M., & Harty, M. A. (2014). Pathways of care of
women in secure hospitals: which women go where and why. The British Journal of
Psychiatry, 205(4), 298-306.
[4] Bartlett, P., & Sandland, R. (2007). Mental health law: Policy and practice. (3rd Ed.).
Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
[5] Bartlett, A., & Hassell, Y. (2001). Do women need special secure services? Advances in
Psychiatric Treatment, 7(4), 302-309.
[6] Bland, J., Mezey, G., & Dolan, B. (1999). Special women, special needs: a descriptive
study of female special hospital patients. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 10(1), 34-
45.
[7] Bowden, P. (1985). Psychiatry and dangerousness: A counter renaissance. Secure
Provision, 265-87.
[8] Burrow, S. (1991a). The special hospital nurse and the dilemma of therapeutic custody.
Journal of Advances in Health and Nursing Care. 1(3), 21-38
[9] Burrow, S. (1991b). Special hospitals: Therapy versus custody. Nursing Times. 87(39),
64-66.
[10] Burrow, S. (1993). Inside the walls. Nursing Times. 89(37), 38-40.
[11] Burrow, S. (1998). Therapy versus security: Reconciling healing and damnation. In T.
Mason & D. Mercer (Eds) (pp. 171-187). Critical perspectives in forensic care: Inside
out. London, United Kingdom: MacMillan Press.
[12] Burstow, B. (2006). Understanding and ending ECT: A feminist imperative. Canadian
Woman Studies, 25(1,2), 115-122.
[13] Carlen, P. (1983). Women’s imprisonment: A study in social control. London, United
Kingdom: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
[14] Centre for Mental Health (2011). Pathways to unlocking secure mental health care.
London, United Kingdom: Centre for Mental Health.
[15] Committee of Inquiry into Complaints about Ashworth Hospital, & Blom-Cooper, S. L.
(1992). Report of the Committee of Inquiry Into Complaints about Ashworth Hospital:
The Case Studies. London, United Kingdom: HM Stationery Office.
[16] Connell, R. W. (1987). Gender and power. Sydney, Australia: Allen and Unwin.
[17] Cowie, J., Cowie, V. A., & Slater, E. (1968). Delinquency in girls. London, United
Kingdom: Heinemann.
[18] Dale, C. (1995). Changing the nursing culture in a special hospital. Nursing Times.
91(30), 33-35.
[19] Dell, S. (1980). Transfer of special hospital patients to the NHS. The British Journal of
Psychiatry, 136(3), 222-234.
[20] Department of Health (1999). Secure futures for women: Making a difference. London,
United Kingdom: Department of Health.
[21] Department of Health (2000). Safety, privacy and dignity in mental health units:
Guidance on mixed sex accomodation for mental health services. London, United
Kingdom: Department of Health.
[22] Eaton, M., & Humphries, J. (1996). Listening to women in special hospitals.
Twickenham, United Kingdom: St. Mary’s College.
[23] Exworthy, T. & Gunn, J. (2003). Taking another tilt at high secure hospitals. The Tilt
Report and its consequences for secure psychiatric services. British Journal of
Psychiatry, 182, 469– 471.
[24] Genders, E., & Player, E. (1987). Women in prison: the treatment, the control and the
experience. In P. Carlen & A. Worrall (Eds.). Gender, crime and justice. (pp. 161-175).
Milton Keynes, United Kingdom: Open University Press.
[25] Gostin, L. O. (1986). Institutions observed: towards a new concept of secure provision
in mental health. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
[26] Harrison, K. (2012). Dangerousness, risk and the governance of serious sexual and
violent offenders. London, United Kingdom: Routledge.
[27] Hemingway, C. (1996). Special women? The experience of women in the special
hospital system. Aldershot, United Kingdom: Ashgate Publishing.
[28] Lombroso, C. (1895). The female offender. London, United Kingdom: T. Fisher Unwin.
[29] Mason, T., & Mercer, D. (1999). The sociology of the mentally disordered offender.
London, United Kingdom: Longman.
[30] McCabe, J. (1996). Women In Special Hospitals and Secure Psychiatric Containment.
Mental Health Review Journal, 1(2), 28-30.
[31] Naylor, B. (2014). Gender, mental health and crime. In P. Taylor, K. Corteen & S.
Morley (Eds.). A companion to criminal justice, mental health and risk. (pp. 111-112).
Bristol, United Kingdom: Policy Press.
[32] Oeye, C., Bjelland, A. K., Skorpen, A., & Anderssen, N. (2009). Raising adults as
children? A report on milieu therapy in a psychiatric ward in Norway. Issues in Mental
Health Nursing, 30(3), 151-158.
[33] Parry-Crooke, G., & Stafford, P. (2009). My life: In safe hands? Dedicated women’s
medium secure services in England. Available from:
http://www.ohrn.nhs.uk/resource/policy/WMSSEvaluationFinalReport.pdf
[34] Pilgrim, D. (2014). Key Concepts in mental health. London, United Kingdom: Sage
[35] Pollak, O. (1950). The criminality of women. New York, NY: A.S. Barnes.
[36] Bertram, M and Powell, J.L. (2005). Reforms, Rights or Wrongs? A Foucauldian
Exploration on New Mental Health Bill in UK. International Journal of Sociology and
Social Policy, 25, 12, 176-189
[37] Reed, J. (1992). Department of Health and Home Office. Review of Health and Social
Services for Mentally Disordered Offenders and Others Requiring Similar Services.
London, United Kingdom: HM Stationery Office.
[38] Reed, J. (1994). Report of the Department of Health and Home Office Working Group
on Psychopathic Disorder. London, United Kingdom: HM Stationery Office.
[39] Rowett, C., & Vaughan, P. J. (1981). Women and Broadmoor: Treatment and control in
a special hospital. In B. Hutter & G. Williams (Eds.) Controlling women: The normal
and the delinquent. (pp. 131-153). London, United Kingdom: Croom Helm.
[40] Sarkar, J., & di Lustro, M. (2011). Evolution of secure services for women in England.
Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 17(5), 323-331.
[41] Scraton, P., Sim, J., & Skidmore, P. (1991). Prisons under protest. Milton Keynes,
United Kingdom: Open University Press.
[42] Sim, J. (1990). Medical power in prisons: The prison medical service in England 1774-
1989. Milton Keynes, United Kingdom: Open University Press.
[43] Smart, C. (1989). Feminism and the power of law. London, United Kingdom:
Routledge.
[44] Stafford, P., & Women in Secure Hospitals (WISH) (1999) Defining gender issues:
Redefining women’s services. Available from: http://www.womenatwish.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2010/03/Defining_Gender_Issues.pdf
[45] Stanko, E. A., & Hobdell, K. (1993). ASSAULT ON MEN Masculinity and Male
Victimization. British Journal of Criminology, 33(3), 400-415.
[46] Stevenson, P. (1989). Women in Special Hospitals. Openmind,
[47] Taylor, P. & Williams, S. (2014). Sentencing reform and prisoner mental health. Prison
Service Journal, 211(Jan), 43-49.
[48] Thomas, W. I. (1923). The unadjusted girl. New York, NY: Harper and Row.
[49] Tilt, R. (2000). Report of the review of security at the high security hospitals. London,
United Kingdom: Department of Health.
[50] Wahidin, A., & Powell, J. L. (2001). The Loss of Aging Identity: Social Theory, Old
Age, and the Power of Special Hospitals. Journal of Aging and Identity, 6(1), 31-48.
[51] Waterhouse, R. (1994, 31st January). Drugs ‘bedlam’ at high security hospital:
Medication doses reviewed after spate of disturbances involving patients. The
Independent. Availabe from: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/drugs-bedlam-athigh-security-hospital-medication-doses-reviewed-after-spate-of-disturbancesinvolving-patients-rosie-waterhouse-reports-1410622.html
[52] Wilczynski, A. (1997). Mad or bad? Child-killers, gender and the courts. British
Journal of Criminology, 37(3), 419-436.
[53] Worrall, A. (1990). Offending women, female lawbreakers and the criminal justice
system. London, United Kingdom: Routledge

Download all article in PDF

WSN 22 (2015) 108-119