RachelAdler

Mr.Foster
History113
DissentPaper

WomansRightsforInmates
TheUnitedStateshas148,200inmateswhoarewomeninstateorfederal
prisons.1 Oftheseincarceratedwomen,sixtypercenthasexperiencedsomesortof
abuse,emotionalorphysical,intheirlives.2Thesewomeninprisonsarefacedwiththe
dangersofmistreatmentandpsychologicaldamagewhileinprison.Fromnotgetting
sufficientfreefemininehygieneproductspermenstrualcycletobeingshackledduring
labor,therightsofthesewomenarebeingviolated.
Sincethe1980s,thenumberofincarceratedwomenhasgoneuptimeseight.3
Thisincreaseisbelievedtobeduetothewarondrugs,thelackofavailabilityforrehab,
andturningablindeyeonmentalhealthissuesonthegovernmentspart.Onlyten
percentoffemaleinmatesintheCaliforniacriminaljusticesystemareconsideredhigh
riskforsecuritythreat.4 Weseeatrendamongstwomeninmatesofnonviolentcrimes,

WomeninPrison:AFactSheet,"PPI,accessedMay24,2016,
http://www.prisonpolicy.org/scans/women_prison.pdf.
2
LilyBixler,"Womenprisoners:Gendermatters,"TheClaymanInstituteforGenderResearch,lastmodifiedApril24,
2012,accessedMay24,2016,http://gender.stanford.edu/news/2012/womenprisonersgendermatters.
1

3
4

ibid.
ibid.

mostlydrugortheftrelated.Ifthesewomenarenotviolentordangerous,whydothey
facesuchmistreatmentbythegovernment?
Menmakeupseventypercentoftheprisonguardinfederalprisonsacrossthe
nation.5 Oftentimes,womeninmatesexperiencesexualassault,sexualextortion,and
gropingduringbodysearchesbytheseguardsiftheinmatesmakecomplaintsofthe
sexualharassmentstheyface,oftentimethemalecorrectionalofficerswillretaliate
brutally,leavingthevictimsfeelinginvalidated,unsafe,andhopeless.Theircomplaints
willbeoverlookedbythegovernment,claimingthattheyarejust,emotionalinjuries,
givingthevictimsnochancetofileasuitagainsttheirattackerorabuser.6 Theinmates
arealsosubjectedtothediscomfortofbeingwatchedwhiletheyundress,shower,and
gotothebathroom.Ifyoucomparethesituationtosexual,verbal,orphysical
harassmentintheworkplace,obviouslytheworkerfacedwiththediscriminationwould
receivecompensationofsomesortfortheemotionaldistress,butfemaleinmatesare
notaffordedwiththesamerights,andinsteadfaceerasureoftheirassaultsand
mistreatments.
Anothermistreatmentfemaleinmatesfaceisthelackoffemininehygiene
productsmadeavailabletothemfortheirperiods.Somefacilitiesgiveinmatesfivefree
padsandthreerollsoftoiletpaperperweek.7Anyonewhohashadaperiodbeforecan

WomeninPrison:AFactSheet,"PPI,accessedMay24,2016,
http://www.prisonpolicy.org/scans/women_prison.pdf.
6
Zkhorakiwala,"WomeninPrison:WhatRights?,"AAUW,lastmodifiedOctober30,2009,accessedMay24,2016,
http://www.aauw.org/2009/10/30/womeninprisonwhatrights/.
7
MayaSchenwar,"InPrison,ToiletPaperIstheNewTampon,"Ms.blog,lastmodifiedApril12,2010,accessedMay
24,2016,http://msmagazine.com/blog/2010/04/12/inprisontoiletpaperisthenewtampon/.
5

tellyouthatfivepadscanonlylastyouonetotwodaysofatypicalsevendaymenstrual
cycle.Tamponsaveragearoundfivedollarsandpadsarethree.8Thatmeansthatifan
inmateonlyusesthefreefeminineproductsavailabletoher,shewillusesixtypadsa
year.Onaverage,onewomanuses240tamponseachyear.9Inmateswithoutfamily
and/orfriendsoutsideofprisonwhocansendmoneyfortheirfemininehygiene
productsareatadisadvantageandoftentimesareleftwiththeonlyoptionofreusing
theirfemininehygieneproducts,averyunsanitarypractice.Someinmatesusetheir
rationoftoiletpapertocraftmakeshiftpads,buteventhiscraftyefforttostaycleanis
sometimestakenawayfromthem.Correctionalofficerswilltakeawaytheirmakeshift
padsandtechnicallyatsomefacilities,theysimplyarenotallowedtomakethem.Other
facilitiesoffernofreefemininehygieneproductswhatsoever,meaningifyouhaveno
meansofmoney,theonlychoiceyouhaveistojustbleedthroughyourclothesforthe
sevendaysthatyouareonyourperiod.Notonlyisthisextremelyunsanitary,butitis
alsoadiscomfortforotherfemaleinmatessleepingnearorbeingnearthesewomen
withoutsufficientfemininehygieneproductsforthepungentsmellthatitcausesand
bloodstainsleftbehind.Womendonotasktogettheirperiods,sotheyshouldnotbe
punishedforhavingthem.Itstheirrighttoreceiveasmanyfemininehygieneproducts
astheyfindnecessary.
Pregnantwomeninprisonarealsofacedwithdangersandmistreatment.The
gynecologicalmedicalserviceshavebeendeterminedasinsufficientbytheNational
MayaSchenwar,"InPrison,ToiletPaperIstheNewTampon,"Ms.blog,lastmodifiedApril12,2010,accessedMay
24,2016,http://msmagazine.com/blog/2010/04/12/inprisontoiletpaperisthenewtampon/.
9
AnnaSchumacher,"WomenSpendHundredsofExtraDollarsPerYear.HeresOneEasyOut.,"Groundswell,last
modifiedNovember24,2014,accessedMay31,2016,
http://groundswell.org/womenspendhundredsofextradollarsperyearheresoneeasyout/.
8

InstituteofCorrectionsin1994.10 Theinadequacywasdeterminedduetothelackof
femalespecificservicessuchasmammogramsandPapsmearsinhalfofthestate
prisonsystems.11Eventheprisonsthatofferedtheseservicesleaveinmateswaitingfor
anunreasonableamountoftimefortheirresults.Ifyoureduetogivebirthduringyour
timeinprison,thelikelihoodofyougettingtokeepthebabyisratherslim.Unless
inmatescanfindsomeoneoutsideofprisontocarefortheirbabywhiletheyfinish
carryingouttheirsentence,thebabywillbeputintofostercareandeventuallybe
adopted.Twentyfourhoursaftergivingbirth,thebabywillbetakenawayfromtheir
mother,adeeplyemotionalexperience.12ThereisaprogramcalledTheWeeOnes
Nursery,wherethebabiesstayinprisonwiththeirmothersinaseparatebuildingand
program.13Inordertoqualifyforthisprogram,inmatesmusthave18monthsorlessleft
toserveinprison,haveneverbeenconvictedofviolentcrimes,andthebabyhastobe
bornhealthy.14Theprogramisveryselectiveanddifficulttogetinto.Beinganinmate
andbeinginlaborisitsownhumiliationandmistreatment.Pregnantprisonerswilloften
stayshackledwhileinlabor,whichcanprovetobenotjustdangeroustotheinmate,but
tothebabyaswell.Federalprisonpolicyistoshackleallpregnantwomeninlaborthis
policyexistsinalmostallstateprisonsaswell.Shacklingduringlabormaycause
complicationsduringdeliverysuchashemorrhageordecreasedfetalheartrate.Adelay

"WomeninPrison:AFactSheet,"PPI,accessedMay24,2016,
http://www.prisonpolicy.org/scans/women_prison.pdf.
11
ibid.
12
SwollenBellies,"BabiesBehindBars,"YouTube,lastmodifiedNovember15,2014,accessedMay26,2016,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nErmW89_hr0.
10

13
14

ibid.
ibid.

ofjustfiveminutescanresultinbraindamagetothebabyifacaesariansectionis
needed.15 Shacklingwhileinlaborisinhumaneanddangerous.
Thegovernmentneedstofixitstreatmentoffemaleinmates.Thesewomenare
facedwithdisgustingtreatmentbytheofficialsandcorrectionalofficers,aninsufficient
amountoffemininehygieneproductsfortheirmenstrualcycles,shacklingduringlabor,
andinadequatemedicalcarefortheneedsaswomen.Ifeelthatasacountryweneed
todissentagainstthemistreatmentofwomeninprisonandriseuptoensurethatthese
womenhaveproperrights.

"WomeninPrison:AFactSheet,"PPI,accessedMay24,2016,
http://www.prisonpolicy.org/scans/women_prison.pdf.
15