The Women's House of Detention

A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison

By: Hugh Ryan

Narrated by: Janet Metzger

This "crucial" (The Advocate) and "compelling" (BuzzFeed) history of a prison, and the queer women and trans people held there, is a window into the policing of queerness and radical politics in the twentieth century.

The Women’s House of Detention, a landmark that ushered in the modern era of women’s imprisonment, is now largely forgotten. But when it stood in New York City’s Greenwich Village, from 1929 to 1974, it was a nexus for the tens of thousands of individuals who inhabited its crowded cells.

Historian Hugh Ryan reconstructs the little-known lives of these incarcerated New Yorkers, making a uniquely queer case for prison abolition—and demonstrating that by queering the Village, the House of Detention helped define queerness for the rest of America. From the lesbian communities forged through the Women’s House of D to the turbulent prison riots that presaged Stonewall, this is the story of one building and much more: the people it caged, the neighborhood it changed, and the resistance it inspired.

Critic reviews

“In this essential, abolitionist work, historian and author of When Brooklyn Was Queer Hugh Ryan uncovers the stories of this bewildering place and of the people who populated it.”—Electric Literature

“By using queer history as a framework, Ryan makes the case for prison abolition stronger than ever. Part history text, part call to activism, this book is compelling from start to finish.”—Buzzfeed

A moving history of a forgotten women’s prison

Ryan tells the story of the Women’s House of Detention, a prison that was in the center of Greenwich Village for most of the 20th century. Along the way, he tells the surprisingly moving and queer story of incarcerated women in our criminal legal system. I learned a lot but was never bored.

As promised, a stunner of a book.

Rave reviews by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, smart magazines, and scholars all agreed. The book is one of those rare cross-genre works of impeccable research that reads like a page-turning best-seller you just can’t put down. Metzger’s reading is on key, her intonations in tune with the outrageous history of this notorious jail, balancing sympathetic notes in providing the stories of women whose lives were marred not only within its walls but by aftereffects for years.

Who knew there was a time in New York when police cracked down hard on women for the crime of wearing pants? Hugh Ryan has brought to light in stunning detail a slew of societal crimes committed through generations by a homophobic and misogynistic culture. Everyone who cares about human rights and government-sponsored cruelty and bigotry should read this book, as well as those concerned about flaws in the justice system in America.

Illuminating.

I learned so much. Read this to understand the black and gay rights movements. Loved the book

Every Queer Woman and Trans Masc should read

It is the history of our people. Surviving the best way they knew how. There is a depth, richness and complexity to our history. Understanding it is so grounding.

Thought provoking and Important

An important book about Queer history and the incarceration of women and trans masculine people. Overall it’s a stunning book, but painful topic to read and explore.