Coed Prisons

Why were women inmates treated differently from male inmates during this period? How has this changed?  Women’s inmates were treated differently from male because of lack of services, and behavior issue. There were on matron for the female prisoners at the time. The women’s gave more trouble than five hundred male convicts. The women fight, scratch, pull hair, curse, swear, and yell. Knives had to be taken away form the female department. To prevent the prisoners from cutting each other. By the mid- nineteenth century things stared to change for female prisoners. States had hired matrons to supervise their female convicts. Matrons played a major ideological role in women’s prison reform. Female prisoners by nature needed special treatment that other women could provide. Also change happened with Mount Pleasnat the first female prison in the United States. Mount Pleasnat introduced an education program to women. The women had astronomy, geography, physiology, and physical education. The women prison also had a library were prisoners could take book to their

When a nation leads the world in the population incarcerated, women incarcerated and recidivism rate a question of what policies are causing these high statistics. Commonalities such as lack of supportive programing, conditions and over sentencing seem to appear in all these statistics. Although the controversial American prison system is often overlooked it is a grave social issue that no longer focuses on the rehabilitation of inmates.

The number of incarcerated women has grown significantly, increasing at a rate double to the rate of male incarceration since 1980 (Covington & Bloom, 2006). Braithwaite, Treadwell & Arriola note that incarcerated women have historically been a forgotten population, and despite the rapid growth of the population, their needs have continued to be ignored (2005). In addition to the stigma that comes with being or having been incarcerated, Braithwaite,

Finally, it long has been recognized that the placement of male officers in a female prison is often the petri dish for growing corruption (Brasswell, McCarthy, & McCarthy, 2008). As exhibited in the Maryland incident, though, it is certainly not limited to male guards. It is, in fact, an occurrence that occurs in virtually all opposite-sex cultures. Aside from the natural attraction that occurs between individuals, there is also the possibility,

Prisons have evolved into an extended vacation without members of the opposite sex. But there have been cases of female guards having sex with inmates. There should not be flat screens TVS or video games. They should be given the basic tools of life and expected to produce their own living essentials. Prison is not supposed to be fun and relaxing, it is supposed to be miserable to reinforce the idea that it’s not a place you want to be. Protective custody should not be offered to sex offenders and other members of society who would become targeted in the general population. People argue that this violates their civil rights, but these people were aware that their behavior could violate rights when they partook in the illegal activities.

Male prisoners also continue to make up the majority of the prison population. However, women prisoner rates have been on the rise and have exceeded that of male growth rates since 1995. In fact, due to the increase of the women prison population, various issues have arisen which require women to be treated differently from men. Such issues correctional facility’s face because of this increase include program delivery, housing conditions, medical care, staffing, and security (American Corrections, 2016). These problems are in part due to the different social and economic differences women are faced with in prison and while preparing for their release back to society.

“I never realized that once I was labeled as a criminal, I had forfeited my right to be considered a victim,” says Elizabeth Reid at the end of an article she wrote describing her horrific experience as a resident at one of Washington Department of Corrections Work Release facilities (Reid 2013). Elizabeth was led to a secluded room of the facility where she was raped by one of the staff/ guards. She was forced to face the wall as he forcibly raped her. At first she did not report the rape because she feared that he would cause her to be sent back to prison. However, instead of telling someone inside the facility, she went to the local police to report the rape. To her amazement, the cops did not follow through because they were informed that she was on a form of supervised release. As a result, Elizabeth’s rapist was never charged or apprehended for her rape. Sexual misconduct between female inmates and male correctional officers (CO) has been a problem that

The prison world is predominately male dominated. As the years go by, female incarceration levels have been rapidly increasing. The prisons in early days didn’t have to worry about dealing with two different types of inmates as there were not that many females incarcerated. While male and female inmates do have some similarities, they also have some distinct differences. The way they conduct themselves in prison are different; as are they way they interact with other inmates. Males typically are in prison for more violent crimes than women, making the maximum security prisons mainly male. Throughout this paper, these differences and a few similarities are discussed.

The system unable to adapt for such a small number in comparison to men, incarcerated women are expected to fit into an institution developed by men for men, resulting in worse conditions, less familial contact due to fewer facilities, and more rules as if the women were children, all direct reflections institutionalized sexism and HM both in and out of the corrections arena. Additionally, due to the Madonna-like factor, women who are convicted have a farther fall from grace within society and do not have the luxury of the “good old boy” connections for defense and protection. While gender roles and expectations are assigned by society, believing women should be equal to men demands the acknowledgement that women can offend like men (Pearson, 1998) and therefore should be incarcerated not ‘like men’ but in an equalized manner. Perhaps, rather than revamping institutions developed to house and rehabilitate women, we first investigate the standards currently in play for the policing, convicting and sentencing of men as the foundation of creating a nonsexist criminal justice

In prison, women are considered to be less violent than male inmate. This difference is not taken into account upon constructing prisons for female offenders. In fact, construction is based on the correctional model about men being violent. Each gender interacts within prisons differently as well. For instance, males form gangs within prisons. They act territorially and fight to maintain power. In addition, men are more likely to congregate by race. On the other hand, females look to form small families that are not racially specific. Women will fight due to jealousy. However, they are more likely to vent their hostility upon themselves through self mutilation. The way the prison is set up also creates a difference. Prisons for males dived prisoners via classification based on the dangerousness of the crime. In contrast women’s prisons generally allow incarcerated women to mix freely (Stuart von Wormer & Bartollas, 2011).

The Current regulations do have merit, do to the past of the women inmates; (Weinstein, “Men’s Hands Off Women Prisoners”). Yet, the male correctional officers did not make the full percentage. Yet, there were considerable cases of female inmates being raped by male officers (Human Rights Watch, qtd. in “Men’s Hands Off Women Prisoners”). Some could say that this is reverse discrimination, but it is not solely-based on the officer’s sex, there is facts to show why at least, some men should not be in female institutions. Yet, neither sexes should be searching or observing the opposite sex.

The study of recidivism amongst women in prison is important because most research focuses on the male population. The reasons for the “revolving door” phenomenon are different for women; therefore, their treatment should be more gender focused and specific to their needs. Judging by the rates at which women recidivate, you could assume that somewhere along the way the system has failed them. What role does drug use, motherhood, mental health, physical, sexual, and mental abuse play in the recidivism of female inmates?

Clear et al. (2013) states, “Women correctional facilities are like a three-pronged form of institutionalized sexism”, and the reasons are as follows: (1) women’s prisons are generally built further out causing inconveniences to friends and family; (2) they lack educational and vocation programs; and (3) female inmates are not separated and grouped by the seriousness of crime they have committed (e.g. violent offender is housed together with less violent offenders or the mentally ill) (p. 294). There are fewer correctional facilities for women in the United States as compared to those available for men, and assistant programs that are offered at the men’s prison are limited in women facilities. Clear et al. (2013) further states, “Impoverished women parolees are 83 percent less likely to re-offend if given access to housing and life skills training” (p. 311). Women offenders are known as the forgotten offenders because, “Women have traditionally received discriminatory treatment from judges, few programs resources from prison administrators, and

For centuries the general public have perceived that the deep horrors of the prison system only existed within the majority of incarcerated male inmates. However now due to recent investigations researchers are finding that this is not the case. For a lengthened period of time the female prison system have been given low attention in comparison to male inmates

It is nothing new that relationships occur within the prisons. This includes male and females. However, the article we read stated that male and female relationships are quite different. For males, these relationships are geared with control and violence, as the females it’s quite the opposite.