Women's eNews (https://womensenews.org/tag/incarceration/)
Incarcerated black woman whose pregnancy ends fatally fall victim to the daunting truth that infants born to black mothers die at twice the rate as those born to white mothers. The ERA can help change that.
The level of sexual discrimination is particularly visible in the criminal justice system, where sixty percent of incarcerated women are in jail awaiting trial because they can’t afford bail.
“I didn’t learn anything from prison, but I learned a lot from the sisters I met there, and I wanted change.”
Now, other prisoners will be afraid to help stop someone from killing themselves, the woman says. The incident occurred at a California facility under scrutiny for a lax approach to suicide prevention and mental health.
In January, suicide-prevention practices at the California Institution for Women were found to be lacking. Now, two suicides and 10 attempts later, an advocacy group is petitioning state lawmakers to do something.
Most of the women who are being subjected to this degrading and dangerous practice have already undergone enough trauma. We need the help of Congress and the Department of Justice to stop this “birthing barbarism” in the 28 states that still allow shackling at some or all points from the second trimester through postpartum recovery.
Women with children are being incarcerated at a rising rate, with ominous implications for girls in particular. “Children typically model their behaviors based on the parent that is the same sex, so missing that female figure is critical,” says one advocate. Story reported with Annie Geng.
A Tennessee law designed to punish women who use drugs while pregnant can only hurt, not help, babies being born with withdrawal. We need more drug treatment programs, not laws like this that will deter women from seeking help.
First she was placed in an adult women’s prison, now she’s in a boy’s facility. Supporters decry officials’ indifference to her age and gender identity and are demanding a new law and a new prison commissioner.
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Working as a librarian in a county jail in Nassau County, N.Y., Marybeth Zeman saw the boys’ thirst for books, as well as problems with the juvenile justice system. In this excerpt from “Tales of a Jailhouse Librarian,” she meets the mother of a jailed boy.