Excluded lives: female Roma life paths translated in the prison context

Abstract

Roma are a highly stigmatized, segregated and discriminated ethnic minority in Portuguese society. Although the issue of involvement of the Roma ethnic group in deviant and criminal practices is frequently discussed in media and political discourses, scarce research has focused on the experiences of Roma individuals involved with the criminal justice system. In addition, although several studies show an overrepresentation of this group in criminal proceedings and in prison context – the later being even more evident among female prisoners - there has been very little emphasis on the ethnic, gendered and class background of Roma individuals imprisoned in Portugal, especially regarding women. Drawing on two different projects conducted in Portuguese carceral settings, this paper explores the life paths and imprisonment experiences of a group of female Roma prisoners. Data show that the intersection of ethnicity, gender, class and crime strongly determines and constrains the life conditions of Roma women, both behind and beyond prison walls.