Gender Issues in Corrections - Essay Example

?Gender issues in corrections “Women are born free in the United s, but everywhere, give birth in chains” The Guardian, Topic Overview: Prison systems worldwide are customarily designed to suit the needs of the male prisoners, be it the architecture of the buildings housing the inmates or the security procedures implemented by them. Even the basic healthcare facilities offered to the inmates are tailored to suit the male prisoners thus totally disregarding the minority female prisoner population. It can thus be safely concluded that prisons for female inmates are often invariably a poor adaptation of the male prisons (Bosworth, 2002; Zaitzow and Thomas, 2003). As a result, the needs of the female prisoners are often disregarded thus negatively affecting their mental and physical health in the process. It has also been observed that the failure to meet the needs of the female prisoners deprives them of their right to basic dignity and leads to the violation of their fundamental human rights (Law and Whitehorn, 2012). Some of the key issues commonly faced by female prisoners include custodial sexual misconduct; caring for their children; lack of availability of adequate healthcare facilities suited for their needs; lack of accessible services; vulnerability to abuse; etc among others. The needs and concerns of female prisoners are starkly different as compared to their male counterparts, a fact which has been largely ignored so far. Unlike men, the female prisoners are solely responsible for caring for their young children. In such a situation, isolation due to confinement inevitably takes a toll on their mental health. Furthermore they are relatively more vulnerable to abuse and neglect in prison due to the differences in the sexual and reproductive health as compared to males. Issues such as these are hence likely to aggravate the mental and health problems faced by them (UN Office of Drugs and Crime, 2008). Women are also found to be highly vulnerable to prison abuse (Clear, Reisig, and Cole, 2012). Their mental health in particular is far more likely to deteriorate while in confinement due to factors such as overcrowding, lack of proper assessment procedures, discomfort on account of being supervised by male staff, etc (McElreath, Keena, Elter and Stuart, 2011; Stohr, Hemmens, and Walsh, 2008). Furthermore it has also been observed by various researchers that women are more prone to attempt suicide while in confinement due to mental stress and trauma, and lack of availability of appropriate healthcare facilities to address their specific healthcare needs (Petersilia and Reitz, 2012). Critical evaluation: There has been a significant rise in the number of female prisoners in the United States during the past two decades. This sudden increase of female offenders can largely be contributed to stricter punishment and longer incarceration for drug offenders, as a part of the war on drugs campaign. Thus, the policies introduced by the administration to eliminate and / or reduce the disparities in sentencing, ultimately led to the rise of female inmates behind bars (Stange, Oyster, and Sloan, 2011; Miller, 2009). According to the American Civil Liberties Union, women comprise of the fastest growing segment of the incarcerated population, increasing at nearly double the rate of men, in the United States (ACLU, 2007). There is substantial evidence indicating the substantial over-representation of women of color in the American prisons as well as the criminal justice system, with Blacks and Hispanics comprising of the largest female population behind bars (Law and Whitehorn, 2012; Oberman and Meyer, 2008). Some of the key reasons behind the increased incarceration rates of females belonging to the minority population include poverty, and unemployment which significantly hampers their ability to provide and care for their families. Their demographic and socio-economic background makes them highly prone to commit economically driven crimes such as property crimes, prostitution and at times drug related offences. Also it has been observed that women from the minority population are largely uneducated which drastically increases their vulnerability towards partaking in criminal activities. An overwhelming majority of the women incarcerated in the United States are observed to be uneducated or high school drop-outs (Delgado, 2001; Simon and Ahn-Redding, 2005; McLaren and Kincheloe, 2007). Another critical issue faced by women inmates is the disparity in provision of healthcare facilities. Women inmates clearly have a higher need for treatment as compared to their male counterparts due to the differences in their sexual and reproductive health (Cler, Reisig, and Cole, 2012). However it has been observed that the prison systems which are essentially designed to accommodate the majority male inmates, lacks adequate infrastructure and facilities required by female inmates, resulting in limited provision of resources. Also, the staff is not adequately trained to respond to the needs of the female inmates, thus further aggravating the situation and negatively affecting the mental and physical well-being of the women inmates. Research has indicated that women are far more susceptible to chronic illnesses as compared to males hence are in dire need of prompt healthcare service delivery (Sun, 2007; Wormer, 2010). Suggestions and recommendations and Best practices: Good practices in prisons are one of the most crucial elements for ensuring well-being of the inmates as well as that of the wider community in general. This is because it enables the provision of required assistance to one of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in the society as well as help their successful rehabilitation, post serving their terms. The key aim of any criminal justice system is to ensure punishment to the guilty, incapacitate and deter repeat offences and rehabilitate the offenders back to the society, thus serving as an ideal model which facilitates development and growth of the country. However if the needs of the inmates, particularly those of the growing female population in correction systems, are left unaddressed and unattended, the accomplishment of the key objectives would be hampered and result in the failure of the criminal justice system. It is hence of utmost significance for practitioners and policy makers to understand the gravity of the issue and take necessary corrective steps to bridge the wide gap caused by disparities in treatment of male and female offenders, by ensuring provision of appropriate support services and restructuring the existing system to better suit the needs of the female inmates. References: Bosworth, M., (2002). The U.S. Federal prison system. SAGE Publication Clear, T. R., Reisig, M. D., Cole, G. F., (2012). American corrections. Cengage Learning Publication. Delgado, M., (2001). Where are all the young men and women of color?: Capacity enhancement practice in the criminal. Columbia University Press, pp. 27-28 Law, V., Whitehorn, L., (2012). Resistance behind bars: The struggles of incarcerated women. PM Press Publication McElreath, D. H., Keena, L., Etter, G., Stuart, E., (2011). Introduction to corrections. CRC Press, pp. 176-178 McLaren, P., Kincheloe, J. L., (2007). Critical pedagogy: Where are we now? Peter Lang Publication, pp. 114-115 Miller, J. M., (2009). 21st century criminology: A reference handbook, vol. 1. SAGE Publications, pp. 246-247 Oberman, M., Meyer, C., (2008). When mothers kill: Interviews from prison. NYU Press. Petersilia, J., Reitz, K. R., (2012). The Oxford handbook of sentencing and corrections. Oxford University Press. Simon, R. J., Ahn-Redding, H., (2005). The crimes women commit: The punishments they receive. Lexington Books Publication. Stange, M. Z., Oyster, C. K., Sloan, J. E., (2011). Encylopedia of women in today's world, Vol. 1. SAGE Publications, pp. 1155-1157 Stohr, M., Hemmens, C., Walsh, A., (2008). Corrections: A Text/ Reader. SAGE Publications. Sun, K., (2007). Correctional counselling: A cognitive growth perspective. Jones & Bartlett Learning Publication, pp. 161-163 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2008). Handbook of prison managers and policymakers on women and imprisonment. United Nations Publications, Pp. 10-12 Wormer, K., (2010). Working with female offenders: A gender sensitive approach. John Wiley & Sons Publication, pp. 111-113 Zaitzow, B. H., Thomas, J., (2003). Women in prison: Gender and social control. Lynne Rienner Publishers. ACLU (2007). Facts about over-incarceration of women in the U.S. [online] Available at: http://www.aclu.org/womens-rights/facts-about-over-incarceration-women-united-states [Accessed: October 24, 2012] The Guardian, (2012). [Online] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/06/women-born-free-give-birth-in-chains [Accessed: October 25, 2012] Read More