The new mothers’ little helpers: medicalization, victimization, and criminalization of motherhood via prescription drugs

ABSTRACT

In order to understand the relationship between nonmedical prescription drug use, gender, and crime, interviews were conducted with 40 incarcerated women who self-identified as nonmedical Rx users. Of the women we interviewed, 70% were prescribed Rx drugs from their doctors to aid in recovery from cesarean section childbirth deliveries, treat postpartum depression, or for mental or physical health problems associated with childhood abuse and victimization. These women subsequently discovered that these pills also helped them cope with the stresses of caretaking and keeping the family together, particularly when experiencing intimate partner violence and prolonged poverty. Women were motivated to use Rx drugs in order to be a “good” mother, as defined by medical and cultural discourse; however, despite positive intentions, prolonged nonmedical use often hindered the realization of these ideals and ultimately resulted in their criminalization, incarceration, and separation from their children.

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank the women who participated in these surveys and interviews for opening up and sharing their perspectives with us and to the Missouri Department of Corrections for facilitating this research. We are also grateful for the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City for their generous grant to support this research. Finally, we would like to thank Emily Mann and Melissa Milkie for their insightful comments on an earlier draft of this paper, in addition to constructive feedback from the two anonymous reviewers.

Notes

¹ We were unable to find data on race by gender in the annual reports published by the Missouri Department of Corrections. We contacted the prison where data collection took place to get a record of the number and racial distribution. Although these fluctuate on a daily basis, we were informed that there were 1250 White, 245 Black, and 28 “Other” women under supervision during the time of our interviews.

² Some questions were introduced halfway through the protocol and therefore not asked of earlier respondents, hence the variations in sample size.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michelle Smirnova

MICHELLE SMIRNOVA is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Associate Faculty member of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. Her research expertise includes the sociology medicine, gender, intersectionality, and cultural expressions of power and resistance.

Jennifer Gatewood Owens

JENNIFER GATEWOOD OWENS is an Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri in Kansas City in the department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and an Associate Faculty member of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program. Her research expertise includes victimology, survey research, gender, and substance use.