And now--after an extended hiatus--Take Back the News Returns!

elle

I really enjoyed writing this column, but it is really amazing what slips away when there are angry graduation deadlines looming. So, I'm going to give this another shot!

The recent rash of gang and drug violence in Mexico has caught the attention of the US enough for a visit from Secretary of State Clinton as it both spreads over the border and as thousands of spring breakers head south for sun and (most likely) inappropriate behavior. We are hearing a lot about escalating violence, drug kingpins, and recruitment of young men, particularly in Ciudad Juarez, and today of the body of an executed US Marshal found there. However, what is the role of women in the “War on Drugs”?

To begin with, the kidnapping, torture, and murder of women in Ciudad Juarez is nothing new. Violence against women activists have been yelling for years about the ongoing disappearance, sexual abuse, and murder of young women working in the maquiladoras—factories owned by US companies that operate in Juarez (which is directly across the border from El Paso Texas) to avoid US labor laws. There has never been a concerted effort to address the brutal, gruesome, and organized murders of 400-500 women in the last decade. Ten years may sound like a lot of time, but that equates to about one a week. The increase in violence, however, is becoming internationally visible as men become the targets. Once again, when women are in the crossfire it is a local problem…

Here in the US, the “War on Drugs”—and don’t even get me started on how this country is willing to declare a war on everything: obesity, poverty, terror, as if MORE violence were the answer, but I digress…Anyway, the “War on Drugs” in the US has had a particular impact on women, particularly women of color. Just as crackdowns, federally mandated sentencing, and racial targeting have decimated poor and minority men, particularly African-American men, the “war” has hit home for women as well. The population of women in prison has soared since the beginning of the “war”, which has lead to a variety of issues, only some of which we can touch on here.

The US Criminal Justice System (CJS) is perhaps the most androcentric of all US institutions. It is a system designed by, run by, and housing a vast majority of male inmates. While the increase in female prisoners is worth noticing, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, women still make up only about 4% of the total 2.3 million prisoners in the US at the end of 2007. So basically we are shoving women into a broken system designed for men. This means that the special needs of women prisoners are ignored or belittled, including:
A lack of recognition that almost all women in state or federal custody are survivors of physical, sexual, and emotional violence.
Women in prison need the authorities to address the realities of violence in their lives. Even the way wardens are taught to restrain prisoners (pinning their arms from behind, etc.) is likely to trigger a visceral response in someone who has experienced ongoing violence, causing her to panic and lash out more rather than submit. Additionally, counseling to address the after effects of violence in essential.
The specific dietary, medical, and personal needs of women are generally ignored or mishandled.
Women entering the CJS are unlikely to have had access to healthcare in their lives, and enter prisons with a host of health issues that must be addressed. STI screenings for incoming prisoners is essential, as is pre-natal and post-partum care (many women also enter prison pregnant), access to foods high in calcium, and a variety of other gender sensitive programs are necessary. Women in prison are also more likely to suffer from mental illness of some kind, so pharmaceutical and counseling therapy are essential.
Women entering the CJS are generally not accused of violent crimes.
Because of the nature of women’s crimes, usually drug and property crimes, alternative programming—including residential treatment, group housing, work release, and monitoring—makes sense for women. Particularly if you provide a safe space to start from, women are less likely to abuse the system.
Women need different education, job, and skill training than men.
This includes computer and literacy training, classes on navigating the social services bureaucracies, and parenting classes. There have been some highly successful programs using female inmates to train service dogs, provide care for other animals, and so forth. These programs both provide a service and give the inmates a sense of worth and accomplishment.
Women in prison are FAR more likely to have been the primary custodial parent for minor children before incarceration.
Yes, men in prison have children, but those children are generally cared for by their mothers. Around 80% of women in prison are mothers--and most were the primary or custodial parent before incarceration. So, when the mother goes to prison, the fate of her children becomes paramount. There are two big issues that enter into this. First, once you lose custody of your children a variety of laws and other factors makes it difficult to get them back. Many women feel they will get clean for their children, so this is important. Additionally, because of the low number of women in prison, female inmates are often housed thousands of miles away from their families, which affects not only them, but their children.

There are tons of other ways in which we must address the prison industrial complex in this country, but these are some of the most pressing issues for women. Investing in women prisoners makes sense—they are raising the next generation, we should ensure that they are able to do so.

If you want to get involved:

Girl Scouts USA runs programs for girls whose mothers are in prison and for girls who are themselves in juvenile detention. Voluteer!

The Medea Project: Theater for Incarcerated Women helps women in prison tell their stories.

Critical Resistance has TONS of information on the prison industrial complex in the US.

The Women's Prison Association is committed to helping women with CJ histories build a brighter future.