The Issues of Women’s Prisons in America
Introduction
It is foolish to deny that the American prison is one of the most dangerous, inefficient, and worst places on the Northwest continent from both a physical and institutional perspective. Inmates of all genders face equally huge and numerous interactional barriers and obstacles at all levels in these places, from the prisoners themselves to the prison staff. A consistent analytical approach to various prison communities’ specific needs and difficulties can lead one to objective inferences related to this United States (US) industry’s real structure.
Prison Systematic Challenges and Obstacles Specific to Female Convicts
No Stable Communication Services and Infrastructure for Imprisoned Mothers
One of the particular challenges that affect a small yet statistically significant category of prisoners, namely women, is the inability to communicate consistently with their children and the lack of prison infrastructure to provide such a service. According to specialists in the US criminal justice system, “the distance between the prison and the children’s homes, lack of transportation, and limited economic resources compromise a woman prisoner’s ability to maintain these relationships” (“Prisons: Prisons for Women”). Imprisoned mothers and their children, especially minors, experience both external and internal increased mental pressure, which leads to mental pathologies in both and worsens the life of families after reunification.
No Educative and Care Services for Female Convicts Bearing Children
The second challenge is unique to the prison population under discussion and is related to the problem of essential stable family communication way described earlier. It is the absence of educative and care services for pregnant women inmates. Professionals of the institution describe it as a “lack of prenatal and postnatal care, inadequate education regarding childbirth and parenting, and little or no preparation for the mother’s separation from the infant after delivery” (“Prisons: Prisons for Women”). Although such cases are rare, there must be human and material resources in prison facilities for them, as these procedures can permanently cripple both mother and child mentally and physiologically if carried out improperly.
Increased Aggression of Prison Guards and Other Controlling Inner Groups towards Female Inmates
The third systematic hardship identified can be considered as being the darkest one. It is a “disciplinary action at a greater rate” than that received on average by the prison majority, namely men (“Prisons: Prisons for Women”). It is a tragic, mournful, and cruel fact about the ruthless nature of the internal hierarchical relations between correctional officers and female convicts, which requires both active civilian and state intervention.
Full Scale and Systemic Humanitarian Mission to American Prisons with State Monetary Support
State intervention in the functioning of private and public prisons is objectively essential. A multi-faceted and multi-tasking health care and educational service in prison facilities is needed to fully satisfy female inmates’ requests for products and information about intimate hygiene, sexual safety, pregnancy, and birth-giving. Implemented through state law, it would reduce incarcerated women’s overall degree of humiliation, lower interpersonal relationship tensions, and improve their mental status (Havel). The need for quality improving involvement in the prison institution on the part of the prisoners is evident due to the objective deficit of the mentioned material and human resources (Havel). State budgets are the closest and most feasible financial options for implementing the proposed comprehensive multi-level service, and such a humanitarian structure is likely to require several billion US dollars.
Works Cited
Havel, Kimberly. “Why I’m Fighting for Menstrual Equity in Prison.” American Civil Liberties Union, Web.
“Prisons: Prisons for Women.” Law Library – American Law and Legal Information, Web.