Abstract

In this article, we analyze the importance of the face as the expression of stigma for incarcerated women. Using a methodological model of body mapping, we carried out a qualitative analysis from an intertextual perspective on self-portraits. A specific case study was selected: an imprisoned Andean woman (named Satu for the purpose of this research) serving a 10-year sentence in a Chilean prison for drug trafficking. Among the most relevant conclusions, is the expression of the good/evil dichotomy recorded as the manifestation of bitterness and guilt in a moral and institutional penalty system that doubly punishes women offenders, particularly at two levels: a symbolic and imaginary one because of their involvement in criminal activity dominated by males, and the second a real one that strips away their natural right to function in their maternal role, producing extreme guilt.