The growing crisis of female incarceration in American prisons

Gender Issues in Prison

Women now represent one of the fastest-rising segments in American prisons. In 2001, for example, the number of prison inmates has risen to 94,336, more than double the female prison population in 1990. Women now comprise 6.7% of the prison population, and the figure is expected to rise (Beck, Kerberg and Harrison 2002).

Corrections facilities, however, have been slow to respond to these changes. Many of these facilities were designed to incarcerate violent male inmates. They therefore remain unresponsive to the needs of female inmates.

This paper looks at prison experience from the point-of-view of the female inmate. First of all, this paper argues that the crimes most female inmates commit are quantitatively different from those committed by men. Because of these different reasons, prisons built around the need to contain violent male offenders are ill-equipped to meet the special needs of a growing female population. By taking into account the different reasons women go to prison and re-orienting their programs towards rehabilitation, this paper argues that prisons and correctional facilities could be more responsive to the needs of female prisoners.

Female Offenders

The differences between male and female inmates starts before imprisonment. For many women inmates, the seeds are sown in childhood, as a significantly larger percentage of women than men report being sexually, mentally or emotionally abused while they were growing up. Various studies of female prison inmates consistently find high rates of abuse suffered during childhood and as adults (McClellan, Farabee and McCrouch 1997).

For men, this vulnerability to abuse decreases once they reach adulthood. In contrast, the proportion of women who suffer victimization rises when they become adults. Women in prison are thus more likely to suffer mental or emotional problems, like depression. More female prison inmates are prone to suicide attempts. Some psychiatric problems are serious enough to warrant treatment (McClellan, Farabee and McCrouch 1997).

Corollary to this, women offenders are more likely to need substance abuse programs, since many use drugs and alcohol as a result of severe emotional problems (McClellan, Farabee and McCrouch 1997).

The growing number of women in prisons has also given rise to another disturbing trend -- a rising number of pregnant inmates giving birth in prisons. In 1999, a prison survey conducted for the American Correctional Association found that more than 2,800 babies were born to female inmates in from 1997-1999. As harsher drug measures mete out sentences for even non-violent offenses, the number of pregnant women in prisons is expected to rise (Siefert and Pimlott 2001).

Women in Prison

According to the Bureau of Justice, over 70% of women in all state prisons are serving time for non-violent offenses. The great majority of these crimes -- one in three -- are drug-related offenses (Beck, Kerberg and Harrison 2002). Most of these drug-related crimes are also non-violent offenses, including prostitution, burglary and fraud (Siefert and Pimlott 2001).

Of the women who commit violent crimes, a great majority targeted someone close to them instead of a stranger (Beck, Kerberg and Harrison 2002). The distinction in violent crime targets highlights an important difference between male and female violent offenders. While many male offenders commit violent acts during the commission of other felonies, most women will only be violent against those close to them. An overwhelming majority of female violent offenders are in jail for attacking abusive spouses.

Re-orienting correctional facilities

The focus on prison as a punitive approach often overrides its rehabilitative function. To be truly responsive to its female population, however, the prison system must take into account their different needs.

Many experts recommend an empowerment-based approach that addresses the victimhood and substance abuse issues that, for many women, are the main cause of incarceration. In some prisons, pioneering programs that blend therapy and job skills training are being initiated. The goal of these programs is to help women cope with their histories of abuse. The programs then emphasize confronting addictions and then acquiring the requisite educational, vocational and parenting skills that are crucial to allowing an inmate to live a crime-free life (McClellan, Farabee and McCrouch 1997).

To address the needs of pregnant inmates, Family Foundations, a unique corrections facility in Los Angeles, is housed in buildings outside traditional prisons. If they qualify, women who are convicted of non-violent offenses like credit card fraud and drug possession can live in the facility with their kids, taking classes in parenting, job skills and undergoing treatment for drug addiction. Statistics show that women who participate in these innovative prison rehabilitation programs experience only a 10% recidivism, compared to the 52% of overall inmates who go back to jail after being released (Siefert and Pimlott 2001).

The early success of these programs highlight the importance of incorporating gender-based needs into the corrections and rehabilitation system. Instead of subjecting female inmates to facilities and programs that were designed for men, the justice system as a whole should initiate policy changes tat address the different needs of women.

In addition to the programs described above, experts recommend increasing substance abuse programming for female adolescents (Bloom et al. 2002). This will serve to stem the number rising number of women in prison by addressing the leading cause of female incarceration.

In conclusion, the prison system as it exists today was designed to punitively address the problems of violent male criminals. As such, it is unprepared to meet the needs of a growing number of female inmates, many of whom would benefit from policy changes that emphasize counseling and substance abuse treatment. By cutting recidivism and helping these prisoners become better parents and productive society members, these programs will better address the rehabilitative needs of the prisoners and, by extension, society in general.