Incarcerated Women In Prisons

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In spite of the exponential increase in the number of female inmates, little regard has been given to their unique health concerns. Incarcerated women and adolescent females often come from economically, educationally, socially, and emotionally disadvantaged environments, hence it is no surprise that the health of incarcerated women is considerably worse than that of incarcerated men, and that of women in the general population (Braithwaite “Health Disparities”). A disproportionate amount of these women have preexisting acute and chronic illness, substance abuse problems, and undetected health issues including reproductive health needs. In a study conducted by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, it was found that 27% …show more content…
This demonstrates that many women within the prison system have lacked adequate health care prior to their imprisonment, and after being imprisoned they become subject to tremendous neglect in what has become a male-dominated system. The health hazards of incarcerated women is not merely limited to physical health and wellbeing, in fact it is even more concerning in regards to mental health. Mental illness is often both a cause, and a consequence of imprisonment: the rates of self harm and suicide are often significantly greater among female than male prisoners, and even higher than the outside community (“Prison Health”). According to the Corston Report, a report that has largely informed government policy on this matter, “The number of women taking their own lives in prison has increased in recent years, from one in 1993 to 13 in 2004. In 2003 women represented only 6 percent of the prison population but accounted for 15 percent of suicides...” (Cortson “Women’s Prisons”). While the prevalence of mental health disorders among people in prisons is a well-known problem, a dramatic gender disparity exists, which has been exposed in a report/survey conducted by the Bureau of Justice …show more content…
While women imprisonment rates have increased drastically as noted previously, the criminal justice system has not been redesigned to meet the specific needs of women offenders, which are often quite different from the needs of men. Prisons are single sex, coercive institutions designed to hold incarcerated men in a secure environment (Brydenholt “Women in Prison”). Women's prisons are solely a poorer adaptation of this model. The experiences of women within the criminal justice system, including prisons, is notably different from men so it is crucial that the prisons under which these women are held accommodates to specifically female offenders. Previous research has shed light on this problem, citing disparities in the areas of medical needs, family contact, pregnancy and childbearing responsibilities, sentencing and drug-related convictions (Morash “Women Offenders”). According to Rani Shankardass, a social historian and global expert on prison reform, states “When a woman is menstruating it becomes a public event: there is no privacy when she needs to ‘change’, no privacy when she needs to wash, and above all no privacy should she is suffering from cramps and doubling up in pain...” (Shankardass “Barred from Life”). This report titled Barred From Life: Scarred For Life which includes the experiences and voices of women
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