The Rising population of Women in Prison Homes in America Essay Example for Free

The Rising population of Women in Prison Homes in America essayIntroduction Incarceration deems in the American region contract been rising over the past 20 years. It could not be denied that through the statistical subjects, major issues in incarceration include the undeniably increasing rates of women who atomic number 18 incarcerated. Their cases mostly range from the most basic personal assaults towards the murder cases. both(prenominal) the aggressiveness of women and the weakness of the said gender to defend themselves from the injustices of the human law have naturally placed them in such situations. In this regard, women who atomic number 18 braggart(a) birth n prisons also increase at the same time. to a undischargeder extent likely, these inmates are involved in either crime-based intercourse within or a expression(p) prison homes that they are able to conceive their babies inside their prison cells.How are the said pregnant omen treated and how are their babies delivered and cared for later on? What platforms have been established to support the growing number of women who are delivering their children in prison homes? Moreover, if there could be a way to reduce the numbers of women who are yearly incarcerated within the America prison homes, what would it possibly be? These questions shall be discussed within the paragraphs that follow. This study mainly addresses to the topic using several research informations and actual program reports that have already been implemented within the prison homes of America. Moreover, through the use of critical analysis of the situation, this research is aimed inbeing able to show the justness on women tail end bars and how they are treated as they bear their babies.Women in Prison Homes According to the Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers, the growing rate of mothers or women who are incarcerated since the year 1994 have been increasingly disturbing. The reports of the said Legal Advocacy are to be listed as follows The number of women in Illinois state prisons at year-end 2002 was 2,520 a 173% increase in ten years. As of yearend2002, the number of incarcerated women nationwide was 97,491. Arrests of women for murder and manslaughter decreased 35.5% in that time. Nationwide the percentage of women has more than treble as a proportion of the population under correctional supervision, from 4% to 9%. About 15,000 women are detained in Cook County Jail annually and intimately(predicate) 1,200 women are in the jail on any given day. 82 percent of all women detained at Cook County Jail in October 2001 were charged with non-violent offenses. More than 61% of women prisoners in Illinois serve sentences for property (32%) and drug (29%) offenses. Womens crime has not become more violent, exclusively sentencing has become harsher. Like poverty, imprisonment disproportionately affects women of color. In 2002, 72% of women in pre-trial detention in Cook County we re African-American, 7.5% were Latina, 11% were white, and 9% were multi-racial or other. Between 1990 and 2001 women admitted to Illinois prisons were 67.3% African-American, 26.9% white, and 5.1% Latina, with Asians and American Indians making up the other slight than 1%. Nationally, black women were more than eight times as likely as white women to be in prison in 1997. Both childhood and adult histories of abuse are strongly correlated with drug use among women. A 1994 study reported that 80% of women prisoners had experienced somatogenetic and sexual abuse, oftentimes beginning in childhood. The Illinois subdivision of Corrections estimates that 80% of women prisoners need drug treatment, but it is available to hardly 20% of them. In Illinois, more than 60% of women come in prison have not attained a high school diploma. Rates of HIV infection are much higher in the prison population than in the general population. At year-end 2000, 3.6% of female state prison inmates we re HIV-positive, compared to 2.2% of males. Prisoners in Illinois are paid as little as $15 per month for prison assignments but they must pay $2 for each doctor visit in prison. Prisons are generally male-oriented and male-dominated. While there is a lack of programs and services for prisoners overall, the shortage for women is more stark.(Source CHICAGO LEGAL ADVOCACY FOR INCARCERATED MOTHERS. 312.675.09111. 2003. http//womenandprison.org/claim-factsheet.pdf). It is also according to this fact sheet that the incarceration of mothers have a great effect on the society and the development of their children outside their guidance. The result of such situations are indeed degrading to the society. The report further adds the fact sheet on the further result of the incarcerated mothers towards the families and the children that they leave behind. The said reports are as follows 82.5% of women incarcerated in Illinois are mothers. In fiscal year 2000, approximately 2,800 women entering state prison reported that they had given birth to 7,500 children. Nationwide, women under correctional supervision are mothers of an estimated 1.3 million minor children. More than 10 million children have had a conjure imprisoned at some point in their lives. Many mothers were their childrens sole caretakers before arrest. Nearly 90% of fathers in prison in the U.S. report that their children live with the mothers 28% of incarcerated mothers report that their children are being cared for by the fathers. In 2003, 63 babies were born to mothers in the custody of Dwight correctional Center. Nationwide, about 5% of women are pregnant when they enter prison. Another 15% have babies less than six weeks old. Newborns are demoted from imprisoned mothers within a day or two of birth, missing the crucial, irretrievable period of mother-child bonding, which affects development for the rest of their lives. Studies demonstrate that regular visits between children in foster care and their m others enhance the childrens aflame, scholastic, and social trying on to placement. Numerous studies show that family contact has a strong, positive impact on parole success when the mother is released. When a mother goes to prison, it is her children who suffer most. Studies link agnatic incarceration with problems including poor school performance, aggression, emotional problems, and post-traumatic stress. Young children may be severely traumatized by the sudden separation from their mothers, resulting in developmental delays and later emotional problems. Children commonly experience sadness, anger, confusion, grief or apathy due to the separation. Childrens substitute caregivers often are stretched beyond their resources. Visits to distant prisons and long-distance, collect calls are the only available contact for children who are too fresh to benefit from letters. 84% of mothers in federal prisons and 64% of mothers in state prisons lived with their children before arrest. W hen they are released, they breast multiple barriers to reuniting their families, reintegrating into their communities, and obtaining stable employment and housing. A 1985 study found that less than 1% of mothers in a California prison were sentenced for child abuse. Children of imprisoned mothers who go into state foster homes may be separated from brothers and sisters, moved to a series of foster homes, and denied visits with their mothers. Foster care workers often fail to provide mandated visits and services. thither is little coordination or continuity of services when the mother returns to the community. An estimated one in four children in the Illinois foster care system are abused in their foster homes. Foster children have an increased risk of delinquency in adolescence and homelessness in adulthood. Maternal imprisonment affects future generations childrens psychological health and understanding of family is severely damaged by the separation from their mothers. Increasi ngly, families are destroyed forever through termination of parental rights, permanently cutting off the mother-child bond notwithstanding if nobody adopts the children. Illinois in particular has targeted prisoners for destruction of their families through legal severance of family ties, so that the children and mothers have no further communication, visits, or even information about each others welfare. Certainly, mothers who are placed behind bars and are having less time with their families have a great impact on the people that they left behind. As the actual reports show, at times, even visiting the said women inmates are prohibited. All these have a great impact on the fact that the women are less able to communicate with their children, hence having less guidance on their young ones.Although these women were imprisoned for some criminal reason maybe, it does not mean that they are no longer capable of taking care of their child or giving them the needed guidance that they h ave to extend to form their mothers as they grow. As reports attest to the fact that children who are separated from their mothers at an early stage usually grow up to becoming delinquent citizens of the society in case they pass away on the wrong hands of guardians, which usually happens when the mother is in prison. However, because of the environment of the American prison homes usually worldwide reports on these cases are even at a threateningr situation, the officers and the prison policy for such situation would be focused on the environmental development of the child. Living with people who are bound behind bars because of incurring some crimes may not be that good of a developmental environment for young children. Hence, there is no choice but to separate the child from the mother and have them taken care of by other relatives or by foster parents. What has the government and other non-government organizations done to diffuse with this situation?The Programs Designed for Mother and Child in Prison Homes At present, the increasing numbers of pregnant women who deliver their babies within the prison territories have already been called out to the ears of the authorities concerned in the issue. Certainly, there were programs that have been constructed by several concerned groups and the government itself to help these women and their children get over the separation and the grave situation that they are compromised to deal with. These programs were gradually developed since it has been observed that children who are separated from their mothers at an early stage develop several mental and physical illness (Bender, 2004). To be able to avoid the said occurrences among children, the introduction of the Tamars Children project has been established in 2001. This project is mainly focused on rehabilitating the nurturing mother, specially if they have been taking drugs or have been related to any substance abuse cases, to be able to help them take care of their children at a certain time that the prison allows, as the baby needs them for support during the infancy stage. The program has been proposed to begin at the delivery stage of the baby. The American psychiatrical Association believes that the mothers, though they are considered criminals under the human law, should be treated with respect and dignity when they are delivering their babies inside the prison homes.According to Eva Bender, the program bewilder up would support the mother as she delivers her child to help her develop love for her young as the infant goes out f her womb (2004). subsequent on, as the mother and child bonding is pursued, the mothers are placed in correctional communities where they are able to connect with their children freely and are treated intumesce by authorities. This is to reduce the traumatic experiences of the mothers being passed on to their children as they tend to them in their infancy. As it could be observed, the project proposition is manly focused on the mental development of the child. Along with it comes the rehabilitation of the mother for the sake of the young ones. As the group believes that Anytime you have women who are incarcerated, there is stigma,Gillece continued. Add that they have prostituted themselves,are pregnant, and prone to heroin. These are not populargirls. AnywhereThe birthing experience is a new one for many of the womenincluding those who are not first-time mothers, she noted. Many of the women had been using drugs when they had their other babies and hadnt delivered without being high beforeit is a whole new experience, (Bender, 2004). Yes, the assistance of the authorities to many of the new mothers inside the prison homes would help well not only on the rehabilitation of the mother but also on the development of the child as it grows up away from its mothers care.The effectuate of Pregnancy and Delivering Babies to Women It could be noted that through the implementation of the pro jected programs for pregnant and delivering women inside the prison homes affect the personality of the women inmates. Most of the women who were able to deliver their babies gain due date and a sense of responsibility which in turn making them capable of being rehabilitated from their old selves when they were first incarcerate in the prison homes. It could be noted too that based on reports, the rate of women who are returning to prison homes because of repeated crimes are lessened on the part of the already mothers when they holy their prison sentences. Certainly, this could mean that one of the ways which could be used to lessen the number of the women inmates is to teach them some responsibility that would help them grow in maturity and thus they would not commit the same crimes again as they go out of the prison territories. As a result, this could be considered as a way by which the rates of women incarceration could be reduced as well.Conclusion The fact of having young wo men or pregnant inmates has naturally brought fourth issues that are in a flash connected on mother and child development. The said issue raises more questions regarding the situation on individual development of both separate people, the mother and the young infant.As a result, the programs created to directly assist both sides of the situation have been proposed to have effective and practical effects on the personality of both separate people. Yes, these programs have been proven to support two separate aims of rehabilitating the mother and thus lowering the rate or returning inmates and the rate of women who are hosted by prison homes, also it helps in creating a better environment for the infant as it develops.BIBLIOGRAPHYPublications Home Office (1997) Mothers in Prison, Diane Caddle and Debbie Crisp, question Findings none 38, Home Office inquiry and Statistics Directorate.Report of a Review of Principles, Policies and Procedures on Mothers and Babies/Children in Prison Response and Action Plan December 1999Home Office, (1997) Imprisoned Women and Mothers , Diane Caddle and Debbie Crisp, Research Study 162, A Research and Statistics Directorate ReportHome Office (1998) Age Limits for Babies in Prison Some Lessons from Abroad, D Caddle, Research Findings No. 80, Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate.Home Office (1997) Mothers in Prison, Diane Caddle and Debbie Crisp, Research Findings No. 38, Home Office Research and Statistics Directorate.Richards, M. et al. 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Bloom, B. and Covington, S., Gender-Specific Programming for Female Offenders What is It and Why Is It Important? American Societyof Criminology, November 1998. Maruschak, Laura M., HIV in Prisons, 2000. Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin, NCJ 196023. October 2002.Internet Sources CHICAGO LEGAL ADVOCACY FOR INCARCERATED MOTHERS. 312.675.09111. 2003. http//womenandprison.org/claim-factsheet.pdf. (February 21, 2007).Eva Bender. (2004). Prison Program Fosters bond Between Women, Newborns. http//pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/39/5/30?etoc. (February 21, 2007).