Gender and Justice

Gender and Justice

The day you are reading this, there are more than two hundred thousand women living in prisons. According to a report published by The Sentencing Project (2012), the number of imprisoned women has increased by 646% from 1980 to 2010. The number of incarcerated women has increased dramatically over last two decades, mostly due to anti-drug laws. These women struggle with mental illness, substance abuse, and sexual/physical abuse. These incarcerated women are the most neglected and unseen women of our society (ACLU, 2013). Thousands of them are pregnant and are fully dependent on prison or jail authorities for their health care. These women are, however, constitutionally protected for their health care rights. The authorities are obliged to provide prenatal care if they want to continue with their pregnancy and if they seek abortion, authorities must provide them. The incarceration of women posts a burden, not only on family, but society as a whole. Incarceration of women pressurizes the whole family socially and economically. The taxpayers feel the immense burden and children feel deprived of their very initial rights. As the women incarceration rate increases, so do the impacts on their family and children. Moreover, a child being raised by someone other than his/her mother will cause financial burden for the whole society.

The figures are disturbing but more disturbing is the condition and health provisions available for pregnant women in these jails. Despite the constitutional rights these women have, there is a high impact of jail administration on how these rights are enjoyed. The evidence shows that women are more likely to suffer greater “gendered harm” in prison. Moreover, pregnant women are more likely to be treated unjust and inadequately. The findings of different studies conducted on the situation of women in prisons show substandard care for women in prisons.

The incarcerated pregnant women in state prisons are not given proper diet and nutritional care. Around 80% of them have a substance abuse history (Pennlawschool, 2011). Along with physical mistreatment, psychological support is minimal. The pregnant women are restricted from their medical rights and care during pregnancies, which compromises the health of mother and unborn child (Ferszt & Clarke, 2012). Imagine feeling the pain of labor, and someone grasping your legs and latch handcuffs around your ankles. This is what happened to a pregnant prisoner in Valerie Nabors, in Nevada, (Sansbury, 2012). Unfortunately, shackling of women during labor ...