"Scum (of the Earth)": Incarcerated Mothers' Experiences of Slow Violence.

This article examines the experiences of incarcerated mothers through the framework of slow violence, defined as gradual, often overlooked harm that accumulates over time. Based on semi-structured interviews with 42 incarcerated mothers in a Midwestern state prison, the study identifies three key forms of slow violence: environmentally hazardous prison conditions causing health problems; broken and insufficient telephones disrupting communication and parenting; and perpetual waitlists for programming that delay reunification with children and prolong incarceration. These mundane yet persistent harms, compounded by staff inaction and institutional neglect, negatively affect mothers' wellbeing and their relationships with their children. The analysis highlights how slow violence operates within prisons to perpetuate suffering among marginalized incarcerated mothers and calls for greater recognition and structural change to address these insidious forms of harm.