1. Chapter Twelve Incarceration of Women

2. Learning Objectives
Explain why women prisoners are called the “forgotten offenders.”
Be familiar with the history of the incarceration of women.
Explain how interpersonal relationships in women’s prisons differ from those in men’s prisons.
Be familiar with the special issues that incarcerated women face.
Discuss the problems women face when they are released to the community.

3. Learning Objective 1
Explain why women prisoners are called the “forgotten offenders.”

4. Forgotten Offenders Institutionalized sexism:
Women’s prisons generally located farther from friends and families
Small number of women in prison and jail is used to “justify” lack of diverse educational, vocational, and other programs available to incarcerated women.
Small number used to “justify” low levels of specialization in treatment and failure to segregate the more-serious and mentally ill offenders from the less-serious offenders.

5. Forgotten Offenders
Women make up 6.8% of federal and state prison population
More than 114,000 females incarcerated
Women account for 24.2% of all arrests for serious crimes:
68% for arrests for prostitution and commercialized vice
44.1% arrested for fraud
38% arrested for forgery
Women are incarcerated in 98 women only facilities and 93 facilities that house men and women separately.

6. Figure 12.1 rate of female imprisonment per 100,000 female residents

7. Learning Objective 2
Be familiar with the history of the incarceration of women.

8. History Early 1800s, separate facilities from men proposed
Elizabeth Gurney Fry was one of the first to push for better treatment of women in prison.
Late 1800s reform:
Separation of women prisoners from men
Provision of differential care
Management of women’s prison by female staff
Reform movement ran its course by 1935
No distinctive model since 1940s
1970s-1980s, women issue deferred by concern over rising male prison population

9. History Continued
Today the demand that women be treated the same as men has increased.
Nicole Rafter argues that women get worse treatment than men at the present time and gender differences are not accounted for.

10. Learning Objective 3
Explain how interpersonal relationships in women’s prisons differ from those in men’s prisons.

11. Characteristics of Female Prisoners
Almost 70% of the women in prison are between 25 & 45 years old.
Half are racial/ethnic minorities
40% have not completed high school or their GED.
35.4% of Female Offenders are serving time for a violent offense
Female Offenders typically receive shorter maximum sentences than men.

12. Relationships
Sexual relationships are more voluntary than in men’s prisons
Female inmates tend to form pseudofamilies:
Father
Mother
Daughter
Sister
Prisons less violent, less gang activity, and do not have same racial tension.

13. Relationships
Women’s interpersonal relationships were less stable and less familial in the past.
Higher levels of mistrust and greater economic manipulation.
Informal social structure of female prison is collectivist.
Characterized by warmth and mutual aid extended to family and kinship members:
Male prisoners adapt by self-sufficiency, a convict code, and solidarity with other inmates.

14. Learning Objective 4
Be familiar with the special issues that incarcerated women face.

15. Special Issues Sexual misconduct:
Any behavior that is sexual in nature that is directed toward an inmate by an employee, official visitor, or agency representative.
Include:
Touching genitalia, breast, or buttocks in a way that is intended to arouse, abuse, or gratify sexual desire
Using threats or making requests for sexual acts
Indecent exposure and staff voyeurism for sexual gratification
2.1% of female prisoners engage in sexual activity with prison staff

16. Special Issues Educational and Vocational programs: Medical services:
Glover v. Johnson
Most female offenders are undereducated and unskilled
Women not being prepared for jobs upon release
Medical services:
Women usually have more serious health problems
Gynecological problems
More severe/serious mental health problems

17. Special Issues
Higher percentage of female state prison inmates reported a medical problem since admission compared to males inmates such as:
Arthritis
Asthma
Cancer
Heart problems
Liver problems
Hepatitis
Sexually transmitted disease

18. Special Issues Mothers and their children:
Over 60% of female inmates in state prisons are mothers of minor children.
Mothers of an estimated 131,000 children under the age of 18 are incarcerated.
Nearly 58% do not see their children during their sentence.
Birth in prison
90% of states offer parenting classes
75% provide special visiting areas
28% allow overnight visits
7% have nurseries
Imprisoned mothers also have difficultly maintaining contact with children

19. Learning Objective 5
Discuss the problems women face when they are released to the community.

20. Problems Upon Release Most are poor
Have lost custody of their children
Have serious health care needs
Have extensive substance abuse histories
60 to 70% have nowhere to go and have to find a place to live upon release
Availability of programs to help women deal with issues they face upon release
Impoverished parolees are 83% less likely to offend if given access to housing and life skills training.