WOMEN IN PRISON - THE LONELY MINORITY

• NCJ Number: 58415
• Author(s): A M BRODSKY
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Know, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, NEEDS AND ATTITUDES, AND OFFENSE STATISTICS OF FEMALE INMATES ARE DISCUSSED IN THIS PAPER DEALING WITH THE FORGOTTEN FEMALE PRISONER AND HER INSTITUTIONAL PROBLEMS.

Abstract

THE RATIO OF ARRESTS IN THIS COUNTRY IS 7 MEN TO 1 WOMAN, AND THE RATIO OF PRISONERS IS 30 MEN FOR EVERY WOMAN. THEORIES VARY AS TO WHY THERE IS SUCH A LARGE DISCREPANCY. MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO FORMULATE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER, AS RESULTS OF STUDIES ON WOMEN VARY WIDELY. THE DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMALE OFFENDERS ARE BETTER RESEARCHED: 42 PERCENT OF INMATES ARE WHITE, A TOTAL OF 45 PERCENT ARE BETWEEN 22 AND 30 YEARS OLD, 46 PERCENT HAVE LESS THAN A 10TH GRADE EDUCATION, AND 76 PERCENT HAVE ONE OR MORE DEPENDENT CHILDREN. THUS, THE WOMAN PRISONER IS LIKELY TO BE YOUNG, BLACK, HAVE CHILDREN AT HOME, AND WAS PROBABLY UNEMPLOYED BEFORE SHE WAS INCARCERATED. SHE PROBABLY HAS NO MARKETABLE SKILLS, AND HAD BEEN EMPLOYED AS A DOMESTIC WORKER OR WAITRESS IN A LARGE METROPOLITAN AREA. A TOTAL OF 55 PERCENT OF WOMEN IN PRISON ARE THERE FOR CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS. SECOND DEGREE MURDER IS THE OFFENSE COMMITTED BY THE MAJORITY AND THEIR VICTIMS ARE MOST OFTEN SOMEONE CLOSE TO THEM KILLED IN A MOMENT OF PASSION. THEY ARE VERY UNLIKELY TO KILL IN CONNECTION WITH ANOTHER CRIME, OR TO KILL MORE THAN ONCE. GUILT AND REMORSE ARE VERY HIGH AMONG SUCH FEMALE INMATES AND THEY TEND TO BE MODEL PRISONERS. THE SECOND MOST COMMON CRIME FOR WHICH WOMEN ARE INCARCERATED IS FORGERY; THE THIRD IS DRUG ABUSE. BECAUSE FEMALE INMATES ARE FEW, THEY USUALLY ARE CONFINED TOGETHER IN CLOSE CONFINEMENT WITH THE MALADAPTIVE MECHANISMS THEY HAVE BROUGHT WITH THEM. MOST WOMEN IN PRISON ARE SERVING SENTENCES OF 5 YEARS OR LESS. THE GREATEST PAIN FOR THESE WOMEN SEEMS TO BE SEPARATION FROM FAMILY AND LONELINESS. INMATE CULTURES THAT DEVELOP EMPHASIZE PATTERNS OF AFFECTION FOUND IN FAMILIES, AND ARE USED TO GIVE WOMEN FEELINGS OF WARMTH RATHER THAN THE FULFILLMENT OF SEXUAL AND POWER NEEDS THAT ARE OFTEN SEEN AMONG MALE INMATES. THE SELF-IMAGE OF WOMEN IN PRISON IS VERY LOW. PROGRAMS ARE NEEDED TO AID IN EDUCATING, TRAINING, AND EMPLOYING THESE PRISONERS SO THAT THEY WILL GET OUT AND STAY OUT OF PRISON. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (STB)