Corrections and Women Essay

Corrections allude to the ways in which society responds legally to unlawful behavior. In other words, they are the initiatives, establishments, services, and businesses that look after those who have been charged or guilty of crimes. (Clear, Cole, Reisig, & Petrosino, 2011). In comparison to their male counterparts, the number of women incarcerated in US jails for all kinds of crimes has been rising more quickly. According to Lartey (2016), the researchers blamed trauma, victimization, an unsteady family life, mental health conditions, failure in education and at work, and sexual violence for the faster increase in the number of women incarcerated. In normal cases, women are more vulnerable to enter jails than men because a higher number of them are drug users, single mother, homeless, unemployed, minority group members and depending on public assistance for their survival. The majority of them were blacks and Hispanics. For example, the Correctional Association of New York (2017) noted that 65% of the females in New York’s prisons were low income ladies from African-American and Latina who came from the poor areas in the state. It also reported that 75% of women inmates had experienced severe domestic violence from their adult partners, and 80% had been abused while young. Their sentence periods are shorter than those of men mainly because they have a less criminal background.

Classification of women offenders

In the 1993, the Federal Bureau of Prisons initiated a new designation and classification system targeting the female offenders after recognizing and appreciating that the women suspects or convicts are less likely to get violent or try to escape (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2017). From this classification system, most correctional facilities have since changed their missions to offer more low and minimum security bed for ladies. In addition, these facilities are offering the appropriate programs and services to the women offenders to address their social, physical and mental needs. They offer educational and recreation programs, job training through apprenticeship initiatives in various trades. Being accredited by the US Bureau of Apprenticeship & Training and the Department of Labor, these programs offer the convicted ladies career opportunities once they are released.

In most correctional facilities, the prison-bound offenders are taken through reception and orientation centers for 3-6 weeks for evaluation and classification. The center can be a separate entity or in the prison compound. The new inmates are admitted, their belongings taken away and given a rule book, uniform, shower and medical examination. The existing mode of classifying inmates is dictated by the prison procedures and use the security and programs as the basis for grouping them (General Government Division, 1999). Initially, the program used was the rehabilitation and was important because it guided the treatment to be administered to the prisoners and was based on the clinical assessment of their needs (Clear, Cole, Reisig, & Petrosino, 2011). The author noted that the rehabilitation centers give batteries of tests counseling, and psychiatric assessments to evaluate every offender for treatment and custody. The prison management gets to know whom among the inmates will benefit most, and from which treatment program. However, this approach is less used today, but the prison management is using security criterion focusing on the offender’s potential for violence, escape and victimization by colleagues. Overall, the prisoners are classified based on the record of prior incarceration, the severity of an offense, age, when they finished the treatment program, when they are transferable to other facilities, when they get into trouble, when they are almost to be released to the community and institutional conduct.

Clear, Cole, Reisig and Petrosino (2011) noted that new predictive and equity-based approaches have been developed to classify offenders in a more objective manner. The objective systems have been designed to distinguish prisoners with respect to potential misconduct in the facility, risk of escape, and future criminal behavior. The criminal and socioeconomic variables are assigned point values and the security level will be determined by the total point score. On the other hand, the equity-based initiatives use some predetermined legal factors reflecting current and past criminal behaviors. These models are avoiding the use of race, education and employment since they are subjective and unfair.

The classification of women inmates and other prisoners guides the management in deciding the housing units appropriate for the custody of which level of offenders. Though women are generally deemed to have a less serious criminal background, the Correctional Service Canada (2013) classifies women into multi-level - maximum, medium and minimum security. The women under the maximum security level are deemed risky and accommodated in secure units where supervision and intervention is offered by specialized staff. The minimum and medium security level offenders are housed in units with communal living areas and they are involved in daily activities such as cleaning, laundry and cooking. In the case the minimum and medium security level women have cognitive limitations or other mental health needs, they are housed in Structured Living Environments units where mental care specialists attend to them.

Relationships in Women’s Prisons

From the findings of studies on the types of relationships in the female prisons observed that there were same-sex associations. However, unlike the coerced same-sex relationships witnessed among the male prisoners, the women’s sexual relationship is more voluntary (Clear, Cole, Reisig, & Petrosino, 2011). The female inmates formed pseudo families in which various roles including those of mothers, fathers and daughters were adopted. They interact as a unit as opposed to identifying themselves with the larger jail subculture. Through these pseudo families, the female inmates are able to share and relieve the tensions linked to the prison life, help in the accommodation of new inmates, and allow people to behave as per the defined roles and rules. Other researchers such as Ward and Kassebaum found that the relationships with the California Institute for Women in Frontera prison were based on homosexual roles and not familial duties. These inmates found difficulties adapting to the prison life and did not bond with others. Clear, Cole, Reisig and Petrosino (2011) noted that there were changes in the climate of women’s prisons, especially in regards to the subcultures.

Reporting on Kimberly’s findings, Clear, Cole, Reisig and Petrosino (2011) stated that the women’s correctional facilities involved less gang gravity, ladies were less violent, and racial tensions did not exist. The authors also added that the interpersonal relationships among the female prisoners were less firm and less familial than they used to be in the past. The prisoners had a greater economic manipulation and higher levels of mistrust. In women’s prisons, there are also lesbians, and were majorly those serving longer sentences and had a history of ever been confined. There were also heterosexual women, but who had not served more time. Through this subculture of homosexual marriage and kinship, the women prisoners expressed and satisfied their social needs. The female prisons also have their informal social structure characterized by collectivism. There is warmth and mutual assistance extended to the members of the subculture.

The female inmates in similar orientations are likely to develop distinctive norms, values and a pattern of interrelationships and roles necessary to serve their needs. Most women bring these orientations with them to the jails. Also, the inmates develop their ways of doing things. From the in-prison experience coupled with the styles of doing time, the females settle into a routine. The style of doing time used by the women inmates comes from their commitment to a deviant identity and their stage of criminal and prison career (Clear, Cole, Reisig, & Petrosino, 2011). The women prisoners also differ in their commitment to the convict code and participation in the mix. A majority of them avoid behaviors that cause violence and conflict between the staff and the inmates because they want to serve their term and go home. However, there are those who do mind and get involved in fighting and drug use. They feel more at home while in the prisons, and they did not care whether they will be sent to administrative segregation or not.

Challenges Faced by Women in Corrections

While in prisons, these women face several critical problems and challenges. As noted by the Correctional Association of New York (2017) females in the criminal justice system are faced with a myriad of hurdles and have different and many needs than men. Owing to their unique stabilizing and caretaking duties, imprisoning ladies has placed a devastating toll on themselves, their children and families.

Pregnant Inmates

Sexually active ladies remain at risk of getting pregnant until they hit the menopause. At any given time, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (2014) noted that approximately 6- 10% of the imprisoned ladies were pregnant. A majority of them come to learn that they are pregnant while at the correctional facilities. At the arrest and incarceration period, many pregnant inmates do not have access to the prenatal care, which call for a considerable support their pregnancies and healthiness. As earlier noted, the incarcerated women have a history of drug abuse, which may complicate and risk their pregnancies. Those with drug use disorder should not be detoxicated; instead they are offered opiate substitution therapy, which may be lacking in some jails and prisons. In addition, these pregnant prisoners experience high degrees of mental distress and rarely receive the required counseling therapy. The consequences of such high-risk pregnancies and the prison’s environment the babies are born pre-term and with low birth weight, which see them admitted to hospital for intensive care.

Mothers and Children in Prison

The General Government Division (1999) reported that around two-thirds of women offenders in the US prisons had at least a child. Clear, Cole, Reisig and Petrosino (2011) noted that the fate of the children whose mothers had been incarcerated was a matter of great concern. It was estimated the number of children whose mother were being remanded on a daily basis was 131,000. The existing literature indicates that around 61% of the imprisoned ladies lived with their children and the only caregivers before being incarcerated. The separation of mothers and children adversely affect both. These anxieties about children bother the incarcerated mothers, especially where they feel that their young ones could not have been in a good care. These children experience many hardships, including anger, depression, aggression and anxiety. With such conditions, these children are more likely to engage in criminal activities. Over half of these women do not meet their children in the course of their imprisonment. The General Government Division (1999) attributed the lack of visitation by their minors to the long distances and the involved travelling costs. They get worried that they may not adjust to each other after the reunion.

Sexual Misconduct and Other Abuses in Women’s Jails

The incarcerated women are falling victims of sexual misconduct by male officers in the correctional facilities. The male officers are involved in both consensual and nonconsensual sexual activities with female inmates. These acts include: the use of threats and requesting for sexual engagements; touching of genitalia, buttocks and breasts with an intention to arouse, gratify sexual desire, or abuse; and indecent exposure for sexual satisfaction. The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (2014) reported that 67-79% of women in jails and 43-57% of ladies in prisons have been either physically or sexually abused. Besides jeopardizing the prison’s security, sexual misconduct creates stress and trauma to the women inmates (Clear, Cole, Reisig, & Petrosino, 2011). The authors reported that there was a case when an official in Virginia impregnated an inmate who was a convicted murderer. The sexual abuse of women prisoners is propagated by their inability to escape the male staff, lack of the correctional system management’s accountability, ineffective or lack of grievance procedures, and little or no concern. To address these problems the states have passed laws barring sexual relations involving correctional clients. However, sexual abuse in jails is still evident and harsher sexual harassment policies and other legislations should be enacted.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse

The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (2014) reported that the 1999 US Department of Justice study had established that over 40% of female offenders were using drugs at the time of incarceration, with 69% of those entering the prison being dependent on them. However, the justice systems are not offering them sufficient substance abuse treatment programs (General Government Division, 1999). Among the factors contributing to this state include limited treatment for pregnant, violent and mentally ill ladies, insufficient individual assessment, and lack of appropriate treatment. The women offenders and dependent on drugs are prone to severe psychosomatic symptoms, intense emotional distress, and low self-esteem. The General Government Division (999) also added that the long history of these women’s indulgences in drugs gives them higher chances of contracting HIV infection from using dirty needles or having unprotected sex.

Female-Specific Healthcare

Even though General Government Division (1999) noted that a vast majority of the United States of America correctional facilities offered female specific healthcare, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (2014) reported that they were inadequate. There were instances when gynecological examinations were not done upon admission or on the required routine basis. The insufficient delivery of these services was attributed to the lack of healthcare providers who are specialists in obstetrics and gynecology. As a result, the female inmates are at the risk of having diseases like abnormal Pap smear, breast and ovarian cancer.

Conclusion

The paper sought to address the women in correctional facilities. The population of women being imprisoned is growing faster than that of men due to social and economic factors. Their sentence periods are, however, shorter than those of men mainly because they have a less criminal background. The women offenders may fall under the category of maximum, medium and minimum security levels based on the record of prior incarceration, the severity of an offense, age, when they finished the treatment program, when they are transferable to other facilities, and when they get into trouble. However, in the US prisons, women are less violent and they are housed together and provided with educational and vocational programs.

It has been established that the women inmates have subcultures on which their relationships are based. Their relationships may be based on homosexuality, lesbianism or the pseudo families. Unlike the male prisoners where the sexual relationships are coerced, women inmates’ relationship is more voluntary and is aimed at helping them cope with the prison life and any other form of assistance. Their subcultures are also characterized by less violence, and less emphasis on recognition and achieving status within the prisoner society. While in the prisons, women face various challenges such as sexual harassment by the correctional officers, lack of treatment for drug use, lack of gynecological treatment, difficulties in pregnancy, and segregation from their children. To address these problems, the correctional systems management needs to develop policies that will focus on the welfare and security of the female inmates.

References

Clear, T. R., Cole, G. F., Reisig, M. D., & Petrosino, C. (2011). American corrections in brief. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

Correctional Service Canada. (2013, August 15). Women’s facilities. Retrieved February 19, 2017, from Correctional Service Canada: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/women/002002-0002-eng.shtml

Federal Bureau of Prisons. (2017). Female offenders. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from Federal Bureau of Prisons: https://www.bop.gov/inmates/custody_and_care/female_offenders.jsp

General Government Division. (1999). Women in prison: Issues and challenges confronting US correctional systems. Washington, D.C.: General Government Division.

Lartey, J. (2016, August 17). Women in jails are the fastest growing incarcerated population, study says. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/17/women-incarceration-rates-growth-study

National Commission on Correctional Health Care. (2014, October 19). Women’s health care in correctional settings. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from National Commission on Correctional Health Care: http://www.ncchc.org/women%E2%80%99s-health-care

The Correctional Association of New York. (2017). Women and the criminal justice system. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from The Correctional Association of New York: http://www.correctionalassociation.org/issue/women