Historical Evolution and Global Changes in Women’s Imprisonment in Peru

This article analyses the evolution of female confinement and imprisonment in Peru from the colonial period until the 21st Century, demonstrating how political, historical and social changes in Peruvian society influenced the changing processes of female imprisonment during three phases of its development. The first important developments were introduced by the transfer of criminal female control from religious institutions to national prison institutions. Second, the context of the internal armed conflict shaped penal policies at the end of the 20th Century and marked the beginning of mass female incarceration. Finally, this phenomenon coincides with important structural changes on a local and regional scale, and can be considered as an echo of global trends in penal policies.