Women's History Month: Dorothea Dix

The intersection of feminism and criminal justice advocacy is one that I don’t believe receives enough attention. Although women are not the majority of people who experience incarceration, since 1985, the rates of women who are incarcerated are increasing disproportionately compared to men. Women are the fastest-growing segment of the incarcerated population. Currently, there are eight times as many women experiencing incarceration today as compared to 1980. Furthermore, many incarcerated women are convicted for acting violently in order to protect themselves from domestic violence and abuse, which are concerns that judges often neglect while determining sentences. In California, around 92% of all women in prisons experienced “battery and abuse.” Many of these incarcerated women are mothers of minors whom the government does not then look after or care for. Across the nation, nearly two-thirds of incarcerated women are mothers of minor children, and, more generally, 8.3 million children have a parent under correctional supervision. Moreover, the United State’s system of incarcerating people with substance abuse issues has caused around 40% of incarcerated women to be detained solely for drug-related convictions.

In honor of women’s history month, I think it’s important to spotlight Dorothea Dix who worked at the intersection of feminism and criminal justice advocacy (she also was a significant aid in mental health support). After several nomadic years and difficulty finding a supportive job as a woman, Dix settled in Boston and lived off the inheritance from her grandfather. His money enabled her to leave her profession as a schoolteacher and devote herself to reformation and social justice causes. As part of her efforts to assist those who have been wrongfully served by the government, she began volunteering to teach women at East Cambridge Jail on Sundays. While volunteering, she saw how many women suffered from mental illness and were incarcerated as a result, which she knew was extremely unjust and in need of reform. As she witnessed mentally ill people be treated inhumanely at the jail, she began to investigate mental illness in Massachusetts and ended up submitting a “memorial” to the state legislature two years later in 1843. At the time, the only way for women to really engage in politics was through submitting these “memorials” or pamphlets. Women couldn’t vote, hold office, or read their own testimonials--men had to do that on their behalf. Dix used her accounts of the mistreatment she saw in jails to publicly shame politicians and call for reform. As a result of her advocacy, Dix was able to establish the first asylums, where mental illness would be properly cared for. Rather than just incarcerating the mentally ill, people were able to really treat mental illness.

Although Dix supported the jobs of female nurses and was a trailblazer for female criminal justice advocates, she was not part of the greater feminist movement at the time. Additionally, she was criticized for her views of abolition. It’s important to not just recognize her successes but also understand her lack of a comprehensive social justice perspective.