{"id":88,"date":"2020-12-01T13:02:17","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T18:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/?page_id=88"},"modified":"2020-12-29T14:41:41","modified_gmt":"2020-12-29T19:41:41","slug":"sterilization-and-eugenics-in-prison","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/timelines\/sterilization-and-eugenics-in-prison\/","title":{"rendered":"Locked Up and Tied Up: A History of Eugenics and Sterilization in the US Carceral System"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-mobiledoc=\"{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;When you think about eugenics, what comes to mind? A far-fetched invasive practice of the past? Or perhaps an archaic form of pseudoscience? The unfortunate truth is that eugenics never left American soil, it merely changed forms. &quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;This timeline tracks eugenics from its inception with Francis Galton in 1865 to disrupt the common misconception that eugenics is a static practice of the past. By paying keen attention to how eugenics manifests itself in the U.S prison system, this project exposes the malleable nature of this magic bullet approach that strives to maintain white supremacy through pathologizing crime. This has resulted in structural violence entangled with capitalist interests, which has especially pernicious effects for people who are incarcerated.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;With the aid of neoliberalism, eugenics has been able to embed itself in our modern carceral system. Often regarded as neo-eugenics, this form of population control is two fold. Negative eugenics holds that reproduction should be restrict amongst \">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sutori.com\/story\/incarceration-and-eugenics-in-the-us--G23Vh94tHqvEcFkCQRRXWZa1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-288 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/235\/2020\/12\/Eugenics.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"796\" height=\"596\" srcset=\"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/235\/2020\/12\/Eugenics.png 796w, https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/235\/2020\/12\/Eugenics-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/235\/2020\/12\/Eugenics-768x575.png 768w, https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/235\/2020\/12\/Eugenics-676x506.png 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-mobiledoc=\"{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;When you think about eugenics, what comes to mind? A far-fetched practice of the past? Or, perhaps, an archaic form of pseudoscience? The unfortunate truth is that eugenics never left American soil; it merely changed forms.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;But what does this look like today? Who is most impacted by current eugenic methods? How did we get here? This timeline tracks eugenics from its introduction in Francis Galton\">\n<p>When you think about eugenics, what comes to mind? A far-fetched practice of the past? Or, perhaps, an archaic form of pseudoscience? The unfortunate truth is that eugenics never left American soil; it merely changed forms.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But what does this look like today? Who is most impacted by current eugenic methods? How did we get <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sutori.com\/story\/incarceration-and-eugenics-in-the-us--G23Vh94tHqvEcFkCQRRXWZa1\">here<\/a>? This timeline tracks eugenics from its introduction in Francis Galton&#8217;s work in the 19th century to the present in order to disrupt the misconception that eugenics is a thing of the past. By paying special attention to how eugenics shaped and continues to shape the U.S prison system, this project exposes how eugenics continues to pathologize bodies by labeling them criminal or deviant, and, thus, subjects to be controlled. Examining the application of past and modern day eugenics on incarcerated populations demonstrates its intersection with and exacerbation of structural violence, reflects the continued allure of magic bullet approaches, and allows us to fully consider the compounding effects on society.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Here, we explore how eugenics has given shape to practices within prisons to manage populations deemed undesirable, namely people of color, poor people, and women. Through this journey from the 19th century to the present, we unearth how the widespread adoption of sterilization laws in response to Eugenics ideals also represent Bruno Latour&#8217;s ideas on the political and societal impact of laboratory findings. Recent sterilization laws are based on ideals and objectives articulated centuries ago, exemplifying the negative outcomes that can arise academics disseminate scientifically misguided conclusions and authorities use them to structure society.<\/p>\n<div data-mobiledoc=\"{&quot;version&quot;:&quot;0.3.2&quot;,&quot;atoms&quot;:[],&quot;cards&quot;:[],&quot;markups&quot;:[],&quot;sections&quot;:[[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;When you think about eugenics, what comes to mind? A far-fetched practice of the past? Or, perhaps, an archaic form of pseudoscience? The unfortunate truth is that eugenics never left American soil; it merely changed forms.&quot;]]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[]],[1,&quot;p&quot;,[[0,[],0,&quot;But what does this look like today? Who is most impacted by current eugenic methods? How did we get here? This timeline tracks eugenics from its introduction in Francis Galton\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-448 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/235\/2020\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-08-at-2.06.42-PM-1024x636.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"676\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/235\/2020\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-08-at-2.06.42-PM-1024x636.png 1024w, https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/235\/2020\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-08-at-2.06.42-PM-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/235\/2020\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-08-at-2.06.42-PM-768x477.png 768w, https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/235\/2020\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-08-at-2.06.42-PM-1536x954.png 1536w, https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/235\/2020\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-08-at-2.06.42-PM-2048x1271.png 2048w, https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/235\/2020\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-08-at-2.06.42-PM-676x420.png 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Gabriella Carter<br \/>\nJason Hong<br \/>\nSandra Yang<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Bibliography\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201c1907 Indiana Eugenics Law.\u201d <em>In.gov<\/em>, www.in.gov\/history\/markers\/524.htm#:~:text=Governor%20Hanly% 20approved%20the%20first,and%20imbeciles%20in%20state%20custody.<\/p>\n<p>Beery, Zo\u00eb. \u201cAmerica&#8217;s Long, Shameful History of Sterilizing Prisoners.\u201d <em>Theoutline <\/em>, 25 July 2017, theoutline.com\/post\/1963\/americas-long-shameful-history-of-sterilizing-prisoners?zd=2.<\/p>\n<p>Bragg, Ko. \u201c&#8217;Belly of the Beast&#8217; Spotlights Forced Sterilizations in California Prisons.\u201d <em>The 19th<\/em>, 15 Oct. 2020, 19thnews.org\/2020\/10\/belly-of-the-beast-forced-sterilizations-california-prisons\/.<\/p>\n<p>Bureau of Justice Statistics. &#8220;Prisoners in 1994.&#8221; (1995).<\/p>\n<p>Burke, Sheila. \u201cNashville Prosecutors Require Sterilization as Part of Plea Deals.\u201d <em>BostonGlobe.com<\/em>, The Boston Globe, 29 Mar. 2015, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bostonglobe.com\/news\/nation\/2015\/03\/28\/attorneys-say-sterilizations-were-part-plea-deal-talks\/oArBniU59sFIcImHpfqFUN\/story.html?hootPostID=b61322f6537a63488008f94b54bd111e\">www.bostonglobe.com\/news\/nation\/2015\/03\/28\/attorneys-say-sterilizations-were-part-plea-deal-talks\/oArBniU59sFIcImHpfqFUN\/story.html?hootPostID=b61322f6537a63488008f94b54bd111e<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>California. State Auditor (2013-). <em>Sterilization of female inmates: Some inmates were sterilized unlawfully, and safeguards designed to limit occurrences of the procedure failed<\/em>. California State Auditor, 2014.<\/p>\n<p>Cohn, Erika. \u201cBelly of the Beast.\u201d <em>PBS<\/em>, Public Broadcasting Service, 23 Nov. 2020, www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/films\/belly-of-the-beast\/.<\/p>\n<p>Dhenin, Marianne. \u201cCoerced Sterilization Is Nothing New in the U.S.\u201d <em>Teenvogue<\/em>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.teenvogue.com\/story\/the-history-of-coerced-sterilization-in-the-united-states\">www.teenvogue.com\/story\/the-history-of-coerced-sterilization-in-the-united-states<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Farmer, Paul, and Amartya Sen. <em>Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor<\/em>. 1st ed., University of California Press, 2003. <em>JSTOR<\/em>, www.jstor.org\/stable\/10.1525\/j.ctt1pnznf. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Galton, Francis. <em>Hereditary Genius<\/em>. Macmillan, 1869.<\/p>\n<p>Galton, Francis. <em>Hereditary Talent and Character<\/em>. Publisher Not Identified, 1865.<\/p>\n<p>Galton, Francis. <em>Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development<\/em>. Thoemmes Press, 1883.<\/p>\n<p>Hunter, Lea. \u201cThe U.S. Is Still Forcibly Sterilizing Prisoners.\u201d <em>Talkpoverty <\/em>, 23 Aug. 2017, talkpoverty.org\/2017\/08\/23\/u-s-still-forcibly-sterilizing-prisoners\/.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cICE, A Whistleblower And Forced Sterilization.\u201d <em>NPR<\/em>, 22 Sept. 2020, www.npr.org\/2020\/09\/18\/914465793\/ice-a-whistleblower-and-forced-sterilization.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson, Corey G. \u201cFemale Prison Inmates Sterilized Illegally, California Audit Confirms.\u201d <em>Reveal<\/em>, 19 June 2014, revealnews.org\/article\/female-prison-inmates-sterilized-illegally-california-audit-confirms\/.<\/p>\n<p>Jouvenal, Justin. \u201cIn Unusual Plea Deal, Virginia Man Agrees to a Vasectomy.\u201d <em>The Washington Post<\/em>, WP Company, 29 June 2014, www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/crime\/in-unusual-plea-deal-virginia-man-agrees-to-a-vasectomy\/2014\/06\/29\/7835371c-fe3e-11e3-932c-0a55b81f48ce_story.html.<\/p>\n<p>Kaelber , Lutz. \u201cEugenics: Compulsory Sterilization in 50 American States.\u201d <em>The University of Vermont <\/em>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/~lkaelber\/eugenics\/IN\/IN.html\">www.uvm.edu\/~lkaelber\/eugenics\/IN\/IN.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Kimmelman, Barbara A. \u201cThe American Breeders&#8217; Association: Genetics and Eugenics in an Agricultural Context, 1903-13.\u201d <em>Social Studies of Science<\/em>, vol. 13, no. 2, 1983, pp. 163\u2013204. <em>JSTOR<\/em>, www.jstor.org\/stable\/284589. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Kluchin, Rebecca M. <em>Fit to Be Tied: Sterilization and Reproductive Rights In America, 1950-1980.<\/em> New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 2009.<\/p>\n<p>Latour , Bruno. \u201cGive Me a Laboratory and I Will Raise the World.\u201d <em>The Science Studies Reader<\/em>, by Mario Biagioli, Routledge, 1999, pp. 258\u2013274.<\/p>\n<p>Lennard, Natasha. \u201cThe Long, Disgraceful History of American Attacks on Brown and Black Women&#8217;s Reproductive Systems.\u201d <em>The Intercept<\/em>, 17 Sept. 2020, theintercept.com\/2020\/09\/17\/forced-sterilization-ice-us-history\/.<\/p>\n<p>Lifemattersjournal. \u201cThe History of Eugenics Behind U.S. Prison Walls.\u201d <em>Rehumanize<\/em>, Rehumanize, 22 Aug. 2018, www.rehumanizeintl.org\/post\/thehistoryofeugenicsbehindusprisonwalls.<\/p>\n<p>Naftulin, Julia. \u201cInside the Hidden Campaign to Forcibly Sterilize Thousands of Inmates in California Women&#8217;s Prisons.\u201d <em>Insider<\/em>, Insider, 24 Nov. 2020, www.insider.com\/inside-forced-sterilizations-california-womens-prisons-documentary-2020-11.<\/p>\n<p>Narea, Nicole. \u201cThe Outcry over ICE and Hysterectomies, Explained.\u201d <em>Vox<\/em>, 15 Sept. 2020, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vox.com\/policy-and-politics\/2020\/9\/15\/21437805\/whistleblower-hysterectomies-nurse-irwin-ice\">www.vox.com\/policy-and-politics\/2020\/9\/15\/21437805\/whistleblower-hysterectomies-nurse-irwin-ice<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Oleson, James C. &#8220;The new eugenics: Black hyper-incarceration and human abatement.&#8221; <em>Social Sciences<\/em> 5.4 (2016): 66.<\/p>\n<p>Packard, Randall M. <em>A History of Global Health: Interventions into the Lives of Other Peoples<\/em>. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016.<\/p>\n<p>Rivas, Jorge. \u201cCalifornia Prisons Caught Sterilizing Female Inmates Without Approval.\u201d <em>ABC News<\/em>, ABC News Network, 8 July 2013, abcnews.go.com\/ABC_Univision\/doctors-california-prisons-sterilized-female-inmates-authorizations\/story?id=19610110.<\/p>\n<p>Shapiro, Joseph. \u201cAs Court Fees Rise, The Poor Are Paying The Price.\u201d <em>NPR<\/em>, NPR, 19 May 2014, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/2014\/05\/19\/312158516\/increasing-court-fees-punish-the-poor\">www.npr.org\/2014\/05\/19\/312158516\/increasing-court-fees-punish-the-poor<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Skinner v. Oklahoma ex rel. Williamson.&#8221; <em>Oyez,<\/em> www.oyez.org\/cases\/1940-1955\/316us535. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Stanglin, Doug. \u201cFact Check: 1994 Crime Bill Did Not Bring Mass Incarceration of Black Americans.\u201d <em>USA Today<\/em>, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 3 July 2020, www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/factcheck\/2020\/07\/03\/fact-check-1994-crime-bill-didnt-bring-mass-incarceration-black-people\/3250210001\/.<\/p>\n<p>Stern, Alexandra Minna. &#8220;Eugenics, sterilization, and historical memory in the United States.&#8221; <em>Hist\u00f3ria, Ci\u00eancias, Sa\u00fade-Manguinhos<\/em> 23 (2016): 195-212.<\/p>\n<p>Stern, Alexandra Minna. &#8220;Sterilized in the name of public health: race, immigration, and reproductive control in modern California.&#8221; <em>American journal of public health<\/em> 95.7 (2005): 1128-1138.<\/p>\n<p>Tamburin, Adam. \u201cFederal Court Order Officially Ends Tennessee &#8216;Inmate Sterilization&#8217; Program.\u201d <em>The Tennessean<\/em>, 20 May 2019, www.tennessean.com\/story\/news\/2019\/05\/20\/tennessee-inmate-sterilization-program\/3748232002\/.<\/p>\n<p>Thieme, Nick. \u201cA Tennessee Jail Is Offering Vasectomies for Reduced Prison Time. Yes, That&#8217;s Wildly Unethical.\u201d <em>Slate Magazine<\/em>, Slate, 21 July 2017, slate.com\/technology\/2017\/07\/tennessee-jails-vasectomy-plan-is-wildly-unethical.html.<\/p>\n<p>Torpy, Sally J. &#8220;Native American women and coerced sterilization: On the Trail of Tears in the 1970s.&#8221; <em>American Indian Culture and Research Journal<\/em> 24.2 (2000): 1-22.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat Is Eugenics? Past and Present Perspectives.\u201d <em>Vermont Eugenics: A Documentary History <\/em>, 1 Mar. 2001, www.uvm.edu\/~eugenics\/whatis4.html.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhite County Inmates Given Reduced Jail Time If They Get Vasectomy.\u201d <em>NewsChannel5 Nashville <\/em>, 21 July 2017, www.newschannel5.com\/news\/inmates-given-reduced-jail-time-if-they-get-a-vasectomy.<\/p>\n<p>Zhang, Sarah. \u201cA Long-Lost Data Trove Uncovers California&#8217;s Sterilization Program.\u201d <em>The Atlantic<\/em>, Atlantic Media Company, 3 Jan. 2017, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/health\/archive\/2017\/01\/california-sterilization-records\/511718\/\">www.theatlantic.com\/health\/archive\/2017\/01\/california-sterilization-records\/511718\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; When you think about eugenics, what comes to mind? A far-fetched practice of the past? Or, perhaps, an archaic form of pseudoscience? The unfortunate truth is that eugenics never left American soil; it merely changed forms. &nbsp; But what does this look like today? Who is most impacted by current eugenic methods? How<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/timelines\/sterilization-and-eugenics-in-prison\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2163,"featured_media":0,"parent":59,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-nosidebar.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-88","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/88","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2163"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/88\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":699,"href":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/88\/revisions\/699"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/59"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/commons.princeton.edu\/ghp350-f20\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}