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Personally these three topics are a good representation of the social gender expectations we place on people in everyday society. The stereotypes people develop regarding gender identities often result in a negative outcome as men and women are treated differently. When it come to the criminal justice system there should be equal responses to crime committed by either gender. This includes sentencing, prison facilities and standards. If the crimes are the same for men and women they should be treated in the same way. Sentencing should be standardised and not gender biased.

As far as support and help services go they should be based on the needs of the individual, which are often different for men and women. If they need support all available help should be provided to assist in rehabilitation and prevent reoffending, and medical and health needs should be responded to as necessary per gender.

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Bozelko, C. (2014, September 29). 10 Things 'Orange is he New Black' Gets Wrong About Prison (According to an Inmate). Listverse. Retrieved from https://listverse.com/2014/09/29/10-things-orange-is-the-new-black-gets-wrong-about-prison-according-to-an-inmate/

Carbonell, R. (2017, HJune 23). When Mum Goes to Prison. ABC News. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-23/when-mum-goes-to-prison-impact-of-jail-on-families/8583640

Easteal, P. (2001). Women in Australian Prisons: The cycle of Abuse and Dysfunctional Environments. The Prison Journal, 81(1), 87 - 112.

Jeffries, S., & Newbold, G. (2016). Analysing Trends in the Imprisonment of Women in Australia and New Zealand. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 23(2), 184 - 206. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2015.1035619

Jeitsen, M. (2016, June 24). Providing Free Pads And Tampons To Incarcerated Women Is About More Than Hygiene. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/new-york-prisons-periods_us_576bfcade4b0b489bb0c901b

Jepsen, B. (2017, December 5). Raised behind bars, cared for by criminals: what it’s like for children living in prison. Mamamia. Retrieved from https://www.mamamia.com.au/children-in-prison/

Moloney, K., van den Bergh, B., & Moller, L. (2009). Women in prison: The central issues of gender characteristics and trauma history. Public Health, 123, 426 - 430. doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2009.04.002

Nedim, U. (2016, January 19). Special Problems Faced by Women in Prison. Sydney Criminal Lawyers. Retrieved from https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/special-problems-faced-by-women-in-prison/

Pike, S. (2016, May 22). The Proliferation of Female Inmates and How TV Made Us Care. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-pike/the-proliferation-of-female-inmates-and-how-tv-made-us-care_b_7285794.html

Robin, J. (2016, October 7). A former prisoner shares the reality of life in an Australian women’s prison. Mamamia. Retrieved from https://www.mamamia.com.au/life-in-a-womens-prison/

Vongkiatkajorn, K. (2016, August 26). 4 Really Disturbing Ways Jail Is Much Worse for Women Than Men. Mother Jones. Retrieved from https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/women-in-jails-increasing-faster-than-men-vera-institute-justice/

Weaver, C., & Cubbin, N. (2015, November 12). What life is really like inside a women’s prison. Australian Woman's Weekly. Retrieved from https://www.nowtolove.com.au/news/real-life/what-life-is-really-like-inside-a-womens-prison-9104

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The number of women in jail is skyrocketing, but many facilities are struggling to meet their needs or have policies that make it more likely these women will end up back behind bars.

That's the conclusion of a new report released by the Vera Institute of Justice and the Safety and Justice Challenge. The news comes as jails are under scrutiny for the role they play in increasing the number of people who are incarcerated. Previous research has found that spending time in jail, even for a minor offense, makes it more likely for a person to face financial burdens, run into legal issues, and commit another crime.

Traditionally men have far outnumbered the number of women in jails-detention facilities primarily for people who are awaiting sentencing after being arrested or who are serving short sentences of a year or less-so few address women's needs, the report said. But now women in jail are the fastest-growing correctional population, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

While there were fewer than 8,000 women in US jails in 1970, that number soared to 110,000 in 2014, a fourteenfold increase, compared with a fourfold increase for men during the same time, according to the Vera Institute's report. On a per capita basis, the incarceration rate for women in jail (per 100,000 people) grew 8.25 times during that time period, more than three times the rate for men. (The number of men in jail grew 2.5 times.) Since 2010, the number of women in jails has been increasing at an average rate of 3.4 percent per year. Other correctional populations such as women in prison, and men in jails and prisons, showed a decline, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Like many people behind bars, these women are disproportionately people of color and poor, and many have a history of drug abuse. Nearly 80 percent are mothers.

A combination of factors have led to more women being arrested, says Elizabeth Swavola, one of the principal authors of the report.

A crackdown on lower-level offenses, often referred to as "broken windows policing," led to more women being arrested in the 1990s through the 2000s. Counties increasingly impose fees and fines on people in jail, and keep them incarcerated when they don't pay-policies that affect women more because they are more likely to be poor. Finally, probation requirements often don't take into account how women must juggle child care, which can set them up for failure, Swavola said.A substantial number of women return to jail not because they've committed new crimes, but because they failed to meet probation requirements, such as meeting with their parole officer or failing a drug test, recent studies have found.

While they are locked up, many routine jail practices adversely affect women, said Swavola, from how officials address sexual abuse to the amount of toilet paper allotted to each facility. These experiences have a lasting impact on these women as well as their families and communities, the report says. Many come home "far worse off than when they entered the jailhouse door."

Here's why jails can be especially bleak places for women:

The way that jails assess women often has a gender bias. Many jails use assessment tools to determine, among other things, someone's risk level for committing another crime, where and how they should be housed within jail facilities, and types of programs and services they should be eligible for. But the accuracy of these tools is generally tested on samples that only, or primarily, include men.

The tools don't take into account research that shows that women generally pose less risk than men of re-offending or committing another crime. As a result, women are often classified as higher risk than the real level of threat they pose, barring them from many jail-based educational, vocational, and rehabilitative programs, among others. (A ProPublica investigation found that many of these assessment tools are also racially biased, especially against blacks.)

Jailed women are more likely to be mentally ill and to experience sexual abuse. Eighty-six percent of women in jail report having experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. Standard correctional procedures such as shackling, full body strip searches, and supervision by male staffers as women shower, dress, or use the bathroom can lead to retraumatization, says Swavola. Women are also far more likely to experience sexual assault in jail and make up the majority of victims of staff-on-inmate sexual abuse.

Some jails fail to meet women's reproductive health needs. Many jails struggle to provide women with basic hygiene and reproductive health needs, and there have been several cases where jails have especially failed to do so. In 2014, the ACLU of Michigan sued the Muskegon County Jail on behalf of eight women, arguing that the jail violated the women's constitutional rights by failing to provide them with menstrual hygiene products, toilet paper, and clean underwear. A lawyer representing the county has called the lawsuit "frivolous and without merit," and said that "litigation will be vigorously defended." The case is still pending.

Cash bail policies often hurt poor women. Women are less likely to be able to afford bail than men, says the study. In 2014, all women typically earned 79 cents for every dollar men earned, according to the report, and for black and Hispanic women, this was even worse: They earned 63 cents and 54 cents, respectively, for every dollar white men earned.

But some local reforms are working. In 2007, Connecticut probation officers piloted a program that helps women who are identified as being more likely to commit another offense. The approach, called the Women Offender Case Management Model (WOCMM), uses tools that have been developed with women in mind to assess risk. It also provides special training to probation officers on issues specific to women, such as helping a mother reunite with her children after losing custody. After finding that the approach significantly helped reduce recidivism rates, Connecticut expanded the model to the whole state in 2011. The program now serves 752 women across the state.

Last year, legislators in Philadelphia passed new rules that reduced the charges forpeople who committed certain lower-level offenses and gave police officers the option to issue civil citations and fines rather than make arrests. The rules became part of a larger effort to reduce the overall incarceration in Philly, which has one of the highest jail incarceration rates in any major city.

Though the approach isn't gender-specific, the policy does affect women "quite a bit," said Derek Riker, chief of the diversions courts unit in the Philadelphia District Attorney's office, especially since the majority of women in Philly were arrested for low-level charges. Philly officials say the approach has been successful so far and that it, and a combination of other programs, is projected to decrease the county jail population by 34 percent over the next three years.

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4 disturbing ways jail is much worse for women than men

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The number of women in jail is skyrocketing, but many facilities are struggling to meet their needs or have policies that make it more likely these women will end up back behind bars. That's the conclusion of a new report released by the Vera Institute of Justice and the Safety and Justice Challenge.

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Moloney, van den Bergh, & Moller, (2009) and Easteal, (2001) both report on the circle of life women who are incarcerated face. This cycle of imprisonment is one which many women are unable to avoid once it begins and often do not survive. Trauma and dysfunction in childhood are often the causes of women turning to criminal behaviour in life. Moloney et al (2009) defines this trauma as being “correlated with mental and physical illness and dysfunction, maladaptive high-risk behaviours and socio-economic disadvantage which characterize imprisoned women” (Moloney, van den Bergh, & Moller, 2009).

The three unspoken rules “Don’t talk,” “Don’t trust,” and “Don’t feel” are typical of households that are characterised by dysfunction, abuse and addiction. These are reflected in the prison culture (Easteal, 2001).

This cycle of addiction and dysfunction shown in the diagram, is reproduced within the prison and can contribute to the woman’s return to drug use and violence on the outside, and influence further generations of children and family.

The article “When Mum Goes to Prison” (Carbonell, 2017) discusses first hand experiences and interviews women that have been to prison and have children. It talks about how these women had dysfunctional childhoods themselves and impact on their families and how the cycle of abuse enables reoffending by many.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-23/when-mum-goes-to-prison-impact-of-jail-on-families/8583640

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The numbers of women in prison has been continuously increasing over time. Between 2001 and 2012, the number of women in Australian and New Zealand prisons increased by 46.1% and 70.3%, respectively. This was significantly higher than the 29.7% and 39.6% increase in the Australian and New Zealand male prison population (Jeffries & Newbold, 2016). This is represented by the ratio of female/male prisoners which has decreased as shown in the figure below.

Reasons for this increase discussed by Jeffries and Newbold (2016) suggest that changes in the criminal justice policies are more often resulting in more imprisonment and serious sentences for crimes being committed. Another reason given was that according to Gelb (2007) as “women’s crimes have become more violent, their representation in prisons has increased as serious crimes are more likely to attract a prison sentence than are non-violent crimes” (Jeffries & Newbold, 2016).

The change in deviant behaviours by women has resulted in a larger increase in prion number when compared to men.

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At the age of 11, Meena has never seen a television or been to the movies. She's never gone swimming or ... with her friends. Meena has never seen the world outside of the prison into which she was born.

According to Rob Nordland of The New York Times, this little Afghani girl lives with her mother, a former sex worker who is serving a life sentence for her role in the robbery and murders of 27 clients.

Under the country's corrections policy, mothers can keep their daughters with her until they turn 18 - and so Meena's childhood is confined by wire and towering concrete walls.

"My whole life has passed in this prison," she told the paper. "Yes, I wish I could go out. I want to leave here and live outside with my mother, but I won't leave here without her."

There are countless numbers of children in the same position around the world, including here in Australia where the number of female inmates has climbed by nearly 40 per cent in the last decade. As of June 2017, that number sat at an all-time high of 3,094 women.

All states and territories have measures in place to cater for inmates who have young children or are pregnant when they fall foul of the law. While they are required to adhere to the national 'Standard Guidelines for Corrections', the nature of each state's approach varies. Some, like South Australia, only have facilities and provisions available, while others including Victoria and New South Wales have government-implemented parenting programs.

At NSW's Jacaranda Cottages facility in western Sydney, for example women have access to early-childhood nurses, visits from a GP, parenting courses and mental health care.

This is one of the state's two purpose-built correctional parenting facilities, and allows a child to reside full-time if he or she is aged under six years and not attending school. After that, primary-aged children can only be accommodated on weekends or during school holidays.

What it's like behind bars, from someone who spent more than a year there. (Post continues below.)

A resident psychologist at Jacaranda told The Daily Telegraph in late 2016 that the program is based on the notion that a child's early bond with their mother is a fundamental part of their development.

"The early relationship affects everything in terms of how children view the world, other people, themselves," Rebecca Merz told the outlet.

"What we have here is an opportunity to help these mums develop a secure attachment with their kids. It's quite remarkable - we have mums who could have had disastrous attachment with their kids, but who end up with really excellent attachments."

Only a handful of incarcerated mothers are granted approval to reside with their children; this requires the approval of a committee that includes representatives from DHS Community Services, SHINE For Kids and Justice Health, who complete "a rigorous assessment process" based on the best interests of the child. Final approval is granted by the Corrections Services NSW Commissioner.

While the numbers of children in facilities in each Australian state reportedly sits in the teens, in other parts of the world a single prison will house dozens, even hundreds, of children.

In Bolivia, for example, there are were an estimated 1500 children living behind bars with their parents just three years ago, a figure that's likely since increased. In Afghanistan there are several hundred. The prison where 11-year-old Meera was housed, it alone had 40 children calling it home.

The United Nations Handbook on Women and Imprisonment noted that in the vast majority of its member countries prisons are ill-equipped to accommodate babies and small children: "Most often, children in prison cannot mix and communicate with children outside prison. Mothers are usually not allowed to spend enough time with their children. The harsh, punitive environment of prisons can permanently damage the psychological and mental well-being of children."

As Meera's mother told Nordland when asked how her daughter felt about her home of concrete and wire, "It's a prison, how should she feel?

"A prison is a prison, even if it's heaven."

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Raised behind bars, cared for by criminals: what it's like for children living in prison.

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At the age of 11, Meena has never seen a television or been to the movies. She's never gone swimming or ... with her friends. Meena has never seen the world outside of the prison into which she was born.

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There are many prison facilities across the world that allow for women to give birth and often raise their children in the prison environment.

In Australia there are few facilities and a very few number of children that live in the prison system. Children are only allowed to live with their mothers until they reach school age, at which they have to leave to attend school and live a normal life. Rebecca Merz, a psychologist at Jacaranda Cottage, a NSW facility says that “The early relationship affects everything in terms of how children view the world, other people, themselves,” (Jepsen, 2017) and emphasizes that this early bond is very important in life.

Overseas many facilities house women inmates with their children until they are 18, and these children are never allowed to leave and see the outside world. There is great debate surrounding this and whether it is harmful for the children or beneficial to the mother and child as they are able to live together and form bonds inside prison (Jepsen, 2017).

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Because the population of women in prison is so much smaller than that of the male population, gender specific concerns regarding female prisoners are not viewed as a priority in policy development or staff training (Moloney, van den Bergh, & Moller, 2009). Three main issues faced by women are:

Women face more isolation than Men as they are more often rejected by family and community

Women are more likely to suffer more health problems and mental health issues

Women also require specific care relating to pregnancy, birthing, and parenting.

(Nedim, 2016)

https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/special-problems-faced-by-women-in-prison/

One specific issue raised in the US is the supply of sanitary products for women in prison. This issue is a major issue that raises the question of how women are treated by society and the lack of care society places in the dignity or incarcerated women.

"Preventing us from getting something we absolutely need goes right to the heart of what prisons are -- a site of punishment, control and dehumanization," said Miyhosi Benton, a formerly incarcerated woman and current associate for the Women and Justice Project (Jeitsen, 2016).

https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/new-york-prisons-periods_us_576bfcade4b0b489bb0c901b

Often structural facilities, security procedures, healthcare services, visitation guidelines and daily activities are derived from male models which may be inappropriate to the needs of women (Moloney, van den Bergh, & Moller, 2009).

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Misrepresentation of Women’s Jails in Pop Culture

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Misrepresentation of Women’s Jails in Pop Culture

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Orange is the New Black is one of the most popular TV shows about women in prison. The portrayal of the women’s experiences in the prison system are glamorised and not factually accurate. The article “10 Things ‘Orange Is the New Black’ Gets Wrong About Prison” (Bozelko, 2014) lists some of the inaccuracies of real prison life that are dramatized for the viewer’s entertainment.

“A former prisoner shares the reality of life in an Australian women’s prison” (Robin, 2016) is another article that compares prison realities to those in Orange is the New Black. Whilst she discusses there are some similarities, often there are many difficulties that women face in prison that go unnoticed or unheard.

These shows are often seen as having a positive influence by raising awareness of the harsh reality of women behind bars.  This third article “The Proliferation of Female Inmates and How TV Made Us Care” (Pike, 2016), discusses how these TV shows highlight the societal issues that contribute to the prevalence of women in jails. This awareness of prison life encourages people to become “mobilized to work for fair treatment, reasonable sentencing, and support for both prisoners and their families” (Pike, 2016).

So any publicity of women’s experiences in prison will often have a positive outcome in aiming to reduce imprisonment and treat prisoners to be able to reform and reintegrate into normal society.

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Topic 11 – Women in Prison -  1008 Words

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Topic 11 – Women in Prison -  1008 Words

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Women in prison are a minority in comparison to men that are incarcerated. Often this results in the women being sidelined or forgotten about when it comes to the care, services and facilities that house women prisoners. The reasons women commit crimes in the first place are a lot different to men and often women need more help and support to return to normal lives in society. Women also different needs to men, especially related to health and reproduction, so a system based on men’s needs cannot be successful for women in prison.

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Figure 2 - All persons 18 years and over, imprisonment rates, by age and sex, 2016 (a)(b).GIF

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Topic 10 – Masculinity in Prisons - 872 words

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Topic 10 – Masculinity in Prisons - 872 words

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Men in prison are often required to conform to the hegemonic masculine or hypermasculine norms to be accepted in the general prison population and not be harmed, attacked or victimised. The social structural prison environment often determines the experience men face in prison and whether it is a positive or negative one. Rape in the prison system is viewed as a common occurrence to maintain masculinity and often trivialised by authorities.

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Hypermasculintiy in prison culture is reflected in the social norms of the inmates and the way they behave. Values that express masculinity in the prison environment are described by (Karp, 2010) as: “emotional stoicism (wearing a mask), distrust (associations, not friendship), dominance (especially through violence or the threat of it), and stratification (especially by race and type of crime)” (Karp, 2010). Conformity to these norms is often considered necessary to prevent isolation and exploitation and maintain respect in the social order (de Viggiani, 2012). Described by an inmate as: ‘‘you’re either up there with the boys or you’re down there with the more timid weaker people. You’re either popular or you’re not. And if you’re not, you’re in for a hard time, you’re in for a rough ride. You’re either one of the boys or you ain’t.’’ (Chris) (de Viggiani, 2012).

Support for inmates to help them reassess their hypermasculinity and reduce their criminality is often available in the forms of intervention programs. The Inside Circle Foundation and the Jericho Circle Project are innovative correctional programs in the US that provide weekly support circles and intensive experiential weekend experiences for inmates (Karp, 2010).

Iwamoto et al, (2012) discusses some of the effects of the pressure to adhere to these masculine norms. Referred to as masculine dysfunction strain theory, the results of these pressures result in negative health consequences, anxiety and depression (Iwamoto, et al., 2012). These prisoners experience a ‘double jeopardy’ and are stuck in a situation where they are unable to survive without ill effects on their mental health.

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The article “Prison Rape is not a Punchline” (Curzer, 2016) also addresses the issue that rape in prison is considered a joking matter. Criminals are often seen by jurors as if they “deserve to be raped” (Curzer, 2016). Prison rape is a crime of power and is used to establish power hierarchy’s in the prison system. Not only does rape occur by fellow inmates, prisoners are often assaulted by staff as can be seen in this graphical representation.
https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/prison-rape-not-punchline

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It is interesting to find when searching for prison commandments that there are actually books written about this topic and ‘surviving prison’. A popular book called “The Ten Prison Commandments: The Ten Rules You Must Know before You Enter a County Jail, State or Federal Prison” is a guide to prison life written by John Doc Fuller an ex-prisoner. Some of the topics discussed are: “Why you should never stare at other inmates, what happens to Snitches, how you should treat staff, How to deal with prison gangs and Common prison slang” (Fuller, 2014).

In another book also written by an ex-prisoner, William R. Conway “The Ten Prison Commandments: A Smart Guide for Surviving Prison”, describes the ten prison commandments in chapter titles as:

Thou shalt overcome depression, anger and stress.

Thou shalt understand the different inmate personalities

Thou shalt understand male correctional officers

Thou shalt never understand female correctional officers

Thou shalt maintain physical fitness

Thou shalt maintain a healthy diet with good nutrition

Thou shalt put God first (Religion and spirituality)

Thou shalt not be a dummy

Thou shalt not get sick (infections and disease)

Bonus Chapters

Thou shalt not grieve too long

Thou shalt remain calm

(Conway, 2011)

These books are aimed at people who are going to jail to help them to prepare and survive in prison. Prison is meant to be a regulated institution so it is concerning to see that there is a need for these books and shows that prison environment is unsafe, dangerous and fragile, and out of control of the authorities.

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In the jounal article “The Perversions of Prison” (Haney, 2011) the work of Professor Sharon Dolovich and her analysis of the successfulness of the K6G Protective Unit at the Los Angeles County Jail is discussed. The main point that is raised is the question of the need for the K6G unit to protect vulnerable prisoners from the general prison population. Why do prisoners need protection from each other?

“What is wrong with society in which ….. some of them try to desperately convince an officer they are gay…. risking long term stigmatisation” (Haney, 2011).

The existence of a unit like K6G is a “sad commentary” by prisons that cannot simply manage the safety of the prisoners in the general population. Professor Dolovich states the “fear of rape” motivates the men in prison to develop hyper masculine traits to avoid being raped themselves. The choice to be made is sometimes ugly and can be ultimately oversimplified as “raping or being raped”.

(Haney, 2011)

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Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2017, November 21). 4125.0 - Gender Indicators, Australia, Sep 2017 . Retrieved from Austraian Bureau of Statistics: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4125.0~Sep%202017~Main%20Features~Safety%20and%20Justice~8

Cairns, A. (2012, October 2). Hot for Teacher: Gender Bias in Sentencing of Teachers that have Sex with Their Students. Campbell Law Observer. Retrieved from http://campbelllawobserver.com/hot-for-teacher-gender-bias-in-sentencing-of-teachers-that-have-sex-with-their-students/

Career Ride. (2017, April 4). Can being a woman be a ground for lenient punishment? Retrieved from Careerride.com: https://www.careerride.com/view/can-being-a-woman-be-a-ground-for-lenient-punishment-33337.aspx

Daly, K. (1987). Discrimination in the Criminal Courts: Family, Gender, and the Problem of Equal Treatment. Social Forces, 66(1), 152 - 175. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2578905

Donahue and Sowa: Attorneys at Law. (2018, February 8). Are Men and Women Treated Differently by the Criminal Justice System? Retrieved from Donahue and Sowa: Attorneys at Law: https://www.dui-criminal-lawyers.com/dsmlaw-blog/men-and-women-treated-differently-criminal-justice-system

Franklin, C. A., & Frean, N. E. (2008). Gender, race, and formal court decision-making outcomes: Chivalry/paternalism, conflict theory or gender conflict? Journal of Criminal Justice, 36, 279 - 290. doi:10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2008.04.009

Gelb, K. (2010). Gender Differences in Sentencing. Melbourne, VIC: Sentencing Advisory Council. Retrieved from http://www.sentencingcouncil.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/publication-documents/Gender%20Differences%20in%20Sentencing%20Outcomes.pdf

Goulette, N., Wooldredge, J., Frank, J., & Travis , L. (2015). From Initial Appearance to Sentencing: Do Female Defendants Experience Disparate Treatment? Journal of Criminal Justice, 43, 406 - 417. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2015.07.003

Jeffries, S., & Bond, C. E. (2010). Sex and Sentencing Disparity in South Australia's Higher Courts. Curretn Issues in Criminal Justice, 22(1), 81 - 98.

Jeffries, S., & Bond, C. E. (2013). Gender, Indigeneity, and the Criminal Courts: A Narrative Exploration of Women's Sentencing in Western Australia. Women and Criminal Justice, 23(1), 19 - 42. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/08974454.2013.743370

LY Lawyers. (2015, December 16). Why do Female Criminals Get Lighter Sentences Than Men? Retrieved from LY Lawyers Criminal Law Specialsts: https://lylawyers.com.au/why-do-female-criminals-get-lighter-sentences-than-men/

Sydney Criminal Lawyers. (2015, August 5). Do Women Get Lighter Sentences Than Men? Retrieved from Sydney Criminal Lawyers: https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/do-women-get-lighter-sentences-than-men/

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Judges decisions are often based on blameworthiness, harm and risk. The blameworthiness of the defendant and the level of harm on the victim and society, as well as protecting the community from future harms (Goulette, Wooldredge, Frank, & Travis , 2015). Also the practical impact on society, space in prisons, costs of caring for dependents and mental and physical health of the offender (Goulette, Wooldredge, Frank, & Travis, 2015).

Three factors that influence sentencing are discussed in papers by Jeffries and Bond (2013, 2010)

Blameworthiness is reduced – placed on mental health, family dysfunction, intimate relationships

Women are less likely to reoffend - due to responsibilities such as families, children and husbands.

There are concerns about social costs – primary carers for children.

(Jeffries & Bond, 2013) (Jeffries & Bond, 2010).

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Topic 9 – The Gendered Nature of Sentencing  - 1112 Words

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Topic 9 – The Gendered Nature of Sentencing  - 1112 Words

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There are often large discrepancies in the sentencing of men and women by the criminal justice system. Women are often seen as being given lenient sentences in comparison to men for equivalent crimes. Courts are often seen as “gender biased” often due to the social gender roles that women and men play in society. Overall, this bias is hard to define as women and men commit different types of crimes at different rates so statistically it is hard to compare the facts.

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Featured photo credit: Netflix via Wikia

The Netflix series Orange Is the New Black pretty much pegs the female prison experience. But there are errors-excusable ones-probably made for the purpose of dramatic effect or economy of story. Still, Orange leaves the audience in the dark about how-and why-prisons really run. Having served six years at York Correctional Institution in Niantic, Connecticut, I know that there are 10 things Orange gets wrong about modern corrections.

10 Nudity In A Group Bathroom

Out of all the jokes about prison, rape is the most frequent punchline. The sad thing is that the "don't drop the soap" jokes are not pure comical speculation. Rapes are perpetrated in prisons, even women's facilities.

The government officially stepped in to stop the prison rape culture a mere 11 years ago when the US Congress passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act and required wardens to adopt a no-tolerance policy for any type of physical violation. Under this federal statute, even friendly clapping of another inmate's behind is sexual assault.

A warden who allows women to walk in and out of showers topless or naked would be risking increased sexual misbehavior and losing his job. If she allowed gratuitous nudity in a real prison, Fig, the deputy warden, would never have had an opportunity to commit financial fraud-she would have already been axed.

9 Sliced Tomatoes On Meal Trays

Fresh food is scarce in prisons. But that's not why prisoners never see tomatoes, particularly ones that are sliced. As oppressive and top-heavy as prisons may seem, they run on a principle of equality, namely that no inmate should be treated differently than another-everyone gets the same thing. Processed foods can be designed to be equal so prisons serve them often.

The reason for this is more than economy. Arrogance and entitlement are the engine of any criminal activity. Part of rehabilitation is learning that you are just like everyone else who has to follow the law, and there are no exceptions. No one gets a bigger piece of the pie, tomato, or anything else.

Every time the prison served a meal with two slices of bread, we ran into this issue with the ends of the loaves-the shrunken slices that are half crust and unevenly cut. Because those heels of the bread could not be considered equal, we could never serve them and were supposed to throw them out, wasting food. In their geometry, sliced tomatoes are worse than bread. They have ends, and their slices are rarely equal. We would never get them, no matter how cheap they might be, because not every inmate would receive the same portion.

8 Choosing Your Seat In The Dining Hall

In prison chow hall, seats fill sequentially, not by choice. If women can be vicious and exclusive when everything in their lives is going right, imagine the feminine nature when someone has lost her freedom, looks, family, and friends. No dining hall has enough space or chairs to accommodate exactly how unhappy women can become if they have a chance to reject one another, so we are forced to sit next to people we don't like, with no choice at all.

Forcing people to sit together in a dining hall might seem like an invitation to bickering and belligerence, but the opposite happened in my experience. Prisons allow inmates a very short time to finish their meals. Handbooks usually contain rules that allow inmates 20 minutes to eat, but no one follows that rule. Prisoners get maybe 10 minutes to eat. The less motivation one has to talk to the woman in the next chair, the more likely it is that she will get her speed-eat on.

7 Staff Members Masturbating In Their Offices After An Inmate Leaves

This almost never happens. Usually they ask you to watch or help out. The relationship on the show between Daya and Officer Bennett is a little more serious and emotionally involved than the usual hit-and-run sex-ups in women's prisons.

The Equal Opportunity Employment Act of 1972 confirmed men's right to guard women in prisons. When you pen thousands of women and post men to watch them, sexual hijinks will ensue. It surprises most people to learn that a majority of guards in women's prisons are men because the expected sexual tension-and exploitation-of such a setup is, well, a setup. Any sexual contact between an inmate and a guard is statutory rape under the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Blame the setup on gender equity.

6 A Man Meeting With Female Inmates Behind Closed Doors

That sexual tension creates a slippery slope, however. Just going behind a closed door with a female inmate is grounds for dismissal of a male member of the prison staff. Ideally, guards-especially male ones-are on camera with a female inmate at all times. Prison culture-and the culture of crime in general-conditions people to think that camera surveillance is the enemy. Too often we forget that cameras clear as often as they convict. Neither the guard nor the prisoner can be falsely accused of doing something to the other if someone is running tape on everything each one of them does.

But camera surveillance cannot coat every inch of the prison, so when a male employee or administrator meets with a female inmate in an office, he usually calls for a third-party witness. However, situations arise where an inmate must be interviewed alone to protect the integrity of protocol or an investigation. If no witness is available, or would threaten the process, the office door remains wide open.

5 Inmates Wearing Sunglasses, Hoodies, Earrings, And Scarves

Have you ever seen the old wanted poster for Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber? A hoodie and sunglasses helped him elude several federal task forces for years. Geraldo Rivera caught flak two years ago when he characterized hoodies as symbols of crime and gangsta culture after the Trayvon Martin shooting.

Whether they signify crime or are merely for fashion, no controversy exists over the sweatshirts' ability to hide our identities. Inmates who did time with me may have worn scarves, shades, and hoodies to rob banks or stick up liquor stores. But they would never be allowed wear them in the joint because they could misbehave-steal something from the kitchen, pop someone in the eye, or escape-with their hoods up. Then, the guards and cameras wouldn't know who the perp was.

Especially in a women's prison, where jealousy wears its own inmate number, allowing inmates to change the look of their uniforms by accessorizing would only bring abuse and violence. Female correctional facilities want all prisoners to look the same: Bad.

4 Standing In The Hallway Or Dining Hall

All prisons structure movement of prisoners so that they cannot gather with others in groups. When Piper gets up and stops to talk to another inmate, she clogs up that structured flow and risks starting a riot. She would have been disciplined if the fictional Litchfield prison were like my real one.

I never witnessed a riot during my tenure as an inmate. And to someone who has never been in the slammer, the idea that one person stopping to talk could foment a melee may sound extreme. But a spontaneous riot is a real possibility, not because inmates are all violent animals but because we all share the same human nature. It's just an instance of collective human behavior called the " Emergent Norm."

When people are in close proximity to each other, individuals with unique behavior will stand out and others will eventually copy that behavior, regardless of how bad or bizarre it is, because they perceive it as the norm. In short, one bad manzana spoils the bunch. All it takes is one punch in a crowd to start a riot. Once the fight is on, everyone thinks they are doing what they are supposed to do if they punch, too. It happens in crowds often and is why the administration would never allow even two inmates to stop and form a mass of people that might explode. Just keep it moving.

3 Inmate Threatens Staff With Litigation And Gets What She Wants

In the second episode of the second season, "Looks Blue, Tastes Red," Pennsatucky implies to Captain Healy that she will sue him because he stood by and watched Piper "beat the brakes off" her. Fearing exposure through a lawsuit, Healy arranges for the prison to reconstruct Pennsatucky's busted grill and give her a brand new set of teeth. If 'Tucky served time where I did and made that threat, she would still be chewing with choppers that look like chips of brown marble.

The normal rules of civil liability have slipped out of American prisons; quite frankly, it's the inmates' fault. One suit in Nevada sought damages for cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment when an inmate ordered two jars of creamy peanut butter from the commissary but received one creamy and one chunky. Then an inmate sued after a prison supposedly violated his religious freedom because he claimed his religion required him to enjoy a steak and wine dinner that the prison food service would not provide. It becomes obvious why the courts started throwing out inmate-initiated civil suits years ago.

People speak of suing prisons all the time, but it is almost impossible to do so because of a legal doctrine called "Sovereign Immunity," which means that the government cannot be sued for any actions of its employees if they acted within their statutory authority. And almost anything that a guard does to an inmate is within his statutory authority. Courts see prisoners as subhuman and perpetual threats to the safety of prison employees, so they sanction abuse. Even in the most egregious examples of maltreatment in a correctional facility, no government employee will be held responsible. It's just a reality. Pennsatucky had no chance, and Healy would have been off the hook.

2 Decorating With Christmas Lights And Festive Trimmings

Ironically, holidays in prison are not as hard as people might expect. I think the reason that Thanksgiving and Christmas never bothered me is that it never felt or looked like a holiday inside. For six years, I missed the black and orange Halloween blitz that bombs retail stores around Labor Day. Except for holiday specials on TV, I didn't witness the fancy snowflake decorations and holiday carols. People think a little decoration might distract the inmate from her drab and sad surroundings, but it actually reminds her of what she's missing.

There are no pumpkins or garlands-not to strangle the holiday spirit-but to keep everyone alive for New Year's Eve. According to the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, the prison suicide rate is half of what it used to be 30 years ago. It may not seem like a lot, but 330 inmates kill themselves each year while behind bars, three times the suicide rate in society at large. Ninety-three percent of those suicides are committed by hanging. Leaving a strong, lengthy cord within the inmates' sight? Never. Someone would be swinging within the hour. Prisons aren't supposed to provide nooses.

1 Inmates Accessing Tools And Tweezers

In Orange, Piper lost a screwdriver in her coat pocket and the warden locked Litchfield prison down for one hour and then released the lockdown without even finding it. Moreover, Piper avoided discipline for this. Where I was, guards cuffed and marched an inmate to solitary when she picked up a screw that had fallen from the ceiling in the commissary warehouse and handed it over to her supervisors. At least twice a year, York Correctional Institution entered emergency lockdown status because something metal went missing and theoretically could have been fashioned into a weapon.

The lost items ran the gamut. From keys stolen from a prison school employee-which can be placed between fingers, making a barbed fist-to the connector from a fetal heart rate monitor that no one unclipped from a pregnant woman's shirt before she left the facility, to a sewing needle from the workplace that sews uniforms. Losing these items froze the entire prison for days until the lost items were accounted for.

People might not know this about prisons, but from personal experience I can let them in on a little secret: There are criminals in there. No one wants to arm them.

Orange sanitizes prison in very subtle ways. Sometimes the difference between Orange and a real prison is the difference between life and death. Orange is a terrific show and very funny, but real prison is no joke.

Chandra Bozelko was Inmate Number 330445 at York Correctional Institution in Niantic, Connecticut and is the author of Up The River Anthology. She writes about prison at Prison Diaries.

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10 Things 'Orange Is The New Black' Gets Wrong About Prison (According To An Inmate) - Listverse

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Featured photo credit: Netflix via Wikia The Netflix series Orange Is the New Black pretty much pegs the female prison experience. But there are errors-excusable ones-probably made for the purpose of dramatic effect or economy of story. Still, Orange leaves the audience in the dark about how-and why-prisons really run.

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It's ALMOST nothing like the television shows.

Did you know that the headphones you use on flights may have been wound and packaged by a woman in prison?

Or that the telemarketer you just spoke to may have called you from inside a NSW women's correctional facility? (Post continues after video.)

Those are just two of the jobs offered to inmates in the state's women's prisons, according to Kat Armstrong the founder of Sydney-based WIPAN (Women in Prison Advocacy Network), a grassroots advocacy group operating on behalf of women in our criminal justice system.

Armstrong knows better than most about what life on the inside because she lived it.

She is former heroin addict and was incarcerated for crimes she committed to support her addiction.

This week she joined Sarah McDonald and Rebecca Huntley on the on the Debrief Daily podcast "Just Between Us" to talk about her advocacy in that role and bust some myths about prison life for women.

We all know that popular television shows about women's prisons, like Wentworth and Orange is the New Black, greatly exaggerate certain aspects of what goes on, but there are one or two things they do get right.

For example, the women are resourceful - especially when it comes to personal care.

"I've seen a couple of episodes of Orange is the New Black," Armstrong says.

"Quite a lot of it, I believe, is sensationalised and some things are similar but most of it is not the reality of what actually occurs in there on a day to day basis.

"Some of the the things [that are similar include] how resourceful the women become in doing things for themselves, because you just lose everything. So the things that they use to do beauty treatments and make-up and those sorts of things, they can become quite creative and quite inventive."

Those who are lucky enough to have money (or relatives on the outside with money) can purchase the basics, such as foundation, mascara, lipstick and rouge, but the majority of the women do not have the resources.

"They might use their oat cereal that they would use as their breakfast cereal as a face mask," she explains.

"So they would mix that up with milk or water and make a paste and then use that as a face mask.

"If you are working out in the gardens of the prison you get sunscreen, so a lot of the women will use that sunscreen as a moisturiser for the rest of their bodies."

Those without money going in, earn a nominal wage from work programs, but according to Armstrong in NSW the amount ranged from $13 and $70 a week

That tiny amount is for everything as well, all of your toiletries; shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush and any extras like chocolate or a kettle.

"That's what you have to survive on."

And the jobs aren't exactly stimulating (winding headphones, anyone?).

Armstrong believes that boredom and the lack of education programs for women in correctional facilities is "the biggest issue."

"Empowerment, education, jobs and training is the answer and giving a person a second chance so that they can successfully transition into the community and becoming functioning member of the community," she says.

If a woman in prison chooses to opt for full-time education, the wage she earns will fall somewhere in the realm of $25 a week - not a great incentive.

The female prison population is one of the fastest growing in Australia and the majority of female prisoners come from deeply disadvantaged backgrounds; 98% report a history of childhood and adult sexual, emotional or physical abuse.

They are more likely to have poor mental and physical health than men and have higher rates of substance abuse.

"You have a lot of women who have significant trauma, significant drug addiction issues and significant mental health problems all just thrown in together," Armstrong says.

"Can you imagine the dynamics and the situation of that?"

She said it is especially difficult for women who aren't incarcerated for drug or alcohol related offences who are then forced to share a cell for 16-18 hours a day with someone who is, for example, coming down from a drug like ice.

"I went to prison. I was a heroin addict so I committed crime to support my addiction. But heroin addiction and coming down off heroin is very different from speed or ice, cociane, alcohol and the psychosis that women experience as a result of withdrawing from drugs like that is majorly significant."

That's not to say that women don't make friends though - or form romantic attachments.

"I could give you five names right now ... of women who I met when I was in prison and who will be my lifelong friends until the day I die," she says.

She also explained that gay relationships were widely accepted (both by prisoners and guards) but often don't last once women are released.

They usually begin "out of the necessity for comfort and companionship more so than the sexual need," she says, "because as human beings all we want is to be loved, nurtured and accepted."

She also answered the period question.

"You put a lot of women together, within a couple of months all the women are menstruating the same time - and some women get serious PMT.

"Quite honestly, women can be dead-set bitches."

Listen to the full podcast here or download it on iTunes here:
Find out more about the Mamamia Podcast Network here.

You can find out more about WIPAN on their website or keep up to dat their Facebook page.

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A former prisoner shares the reality of life in an Australian women's prison.

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It's ALMOST nothing like the television shows. Did you know that the headphones you use on flights may have been wound and packaged by a woman in prison? Or that the telemarketer you just spoke to may have called you from inside a NSW women's correctional facility? (Post continues after video.)

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Shows like "Orange Is the New Black" (OITNB) and investigative documentaries like Diane Sawyer's " A Nation of Women Behind Bars" highlight life in lockdown and have opened up a national conversation about the lives and treatment of female prisoners.

Reality vs. TV
When it comes to portraying women in prison, television either heightens the reality as seen in "OITNB" and Australia's dark drama " Wentworth," or takes us behind the concrete walls and barbed-wire fences to see the real faces of female prisoners in America. Both approaches serve a purpose, which is to humanize incarcerated women and help us understand how these women are more than criminals -- they are mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and best friends.

In the alternate reality of Danbury Prison, where "OITNB" takes place, life behind bars is often portrayed as a strict summer camp where friendships are made, alliances are formed, and sing-alongs and dance parties help break up the monotony. Other times we are led down the darker corridors of prison life: assault, abuse of power, paralyzing fear and desperate loneliness.

"In a nation whose justice system often offers little more than one-size-fits-all injustice, a television series that inspires viewers to see convicts as fellow human beings can help us better understand and perhaps have a bit more empathy toward them," The Washington Post reported. "We should not confuse a TV program with a criminology course, but 'Orange is the New Black' goes a long way toward narrowing the gap between our perceptions of convicts and the sometimes surprising reality."

The groundbreaking show, based on the real experiences of Piper Kerman, garnered both praise and criticism. Praise for making the reality of women behind bars a national conversation, and criticism for glamorizing or sugar-coating the experiences from which other former prisoners are still trying to recover.

One real inmate from Danbury wrote, "The Netflix series 'Orange is the New Black' isn't funny to the women who served time in Danbury Federal Prison. I know because I am one of those women."

Balancing the public perception is a selection of reality docu-series that take a long, hard look at real women serving out real sentences in real time. TLC aired several specials that explore different issues faced by female prisoners. "Babies Behind Bars" looked at prisoners taking childcare classes in preparation to one day take care of the children they gave birth to in prison.

"Breaking Down the Bars" is a series helmed by Oprah's OWN network and, in addition to daily prison life, this show focuses on therapy and rehabilitation. Producers even brought their own clinical psychologist to work with inmates.

Most recently, FOX's hit "Empire" has joined the ranks of shows portraying the impact of prison on American women. The show's matriarch, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) may be the powerhouse that brought her family to fame and fortune, but that luxury was hard-won on the back of her time in prison.

"While many may be wrapped up in the cosmic mix of glamour and OG attitude that is Cookie, her background provides the character with a depth and complexity that still lacks from portrayals of black women on TV," according to the analysis of Henson's character done by For Harriet. "Cookie represents the substantial number of black mothers who are separated from their children while serving prison sentences."

Hope for the Hopeless
Cookie's character highlights the impact of incarceration on mothers and the children they must leave behind while incarcerated--an issue that is reaching epidemic proportions. Not only does America currently have over 200,000 women serving sentences, but it is the largest female prisoner population on earth. Of those, approximately 56 percent report being parents. There are also two African-American women behind bars for every white female inmate.

"There are now 200,000 women in prison or jail in the United States, a figure that represents an increase of over 750% in the last three decades, and nearly twice the rate of increase that men experienced," according to the Women's Prison Association. "As is the case with men, incarceration rates for women also reflect tremendous racial disparities; one out of every 100 black women in the U.S. is now incarcerated, nearly three times the rate for women overall."

Not only do shows like "OITNB" and "Empire" make female prisoners real to us, but they also highlight the additional societal issues that contribute to the epidemic of women behind bars in America. Economic status, race, and education remain factors for criminal activity and subsequent incarceration. In an age when we often congratulate ourselves on how far we've come, it's important to be reminded that our enlightenment as a nation has not yet come to fruition.

Both the numbers and the images of women behind bars can feel overwhelming and discouraging. However, the impact of media and audience interest in the plight of female prisoners is shedding a light on issues that may not otherwise be addressed.

While there are certainly creative liberties taken in "OITNB," several real issues have been explored--from the perpetuation of guards using their power and influence to trade favors for sex to the rights of transgender inmates to receive prescribed hormone therapy while incarcerated.

The more we are exposed to the realities of life for female prisoners, the more we will be mobilized to work for fair treatment, reasonable sentencing, and support for both prisoners and their families. If you've been inspired to make a difference for women prisoners there are a variety of ways to become involved, including work with at-risk girls and women who may be able to avoid a life behind bars.

Working as a tutor or mentor with at-risk girls or young women who have just become involved in the court system can help make an impact before it's too late. Check with state organizations to find out how you can become involved in building self-esteem, cultivating social skills and improving educational performance. The Women's Prison Association also offers a multitude of volunteer options that range from community involvement to active work with female prisoners and parolees.

Thanks to recent television exposure, the national conversation about women in prison is louder and more active than ever before. While America is undeniably facing a challenge when it comes to the proliferation of female prisoners, there is hope that we will mobilize as a nation to curb the tide. Television may not be the answer, but it is certainly a catalyst for awareness, activism, and change.

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The Proliferation of Female Inmates and How TV Made Us Care

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Shows like "Orange Is the New Black" (OITNB) and investigative documentaries like Diane Sawyer's " A Nation of Women Behind Bars" highlight life in lockdown and have opened up a national conversation about the lives and treatment of female prisoners. Reality vs.

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Crime committed = Quality of Treatment in Prison

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Crime committed = Quality of Treatment in Prison

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The news article “Jailhouse justice: A look at inmate society in Australian jails” (McMah & Palin , 2016) discusses the different experiences prisoners have in jail in Australia based on the crimes they have committed.

In Australia criminals at high risk of being attacked or killed because of the crimes they have committed, mainly those which related to child offences and high profile crimes or other criminals who fear for their lives due to race, gangs or drugs.

Once entered into a protection unit the prisoners are stigmatised for life. The prisons have a structured system to segregate the inmates but when allowed to socialise in the yard the inmates are often in gangs based on ethnicity. The prisoners often feel as if they have to behave in a certain way to avoid being harmed.
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/jailhouse-justice-a-look-at-inmate-society-in-australian-jails/news-story/f14a395233ea83b6967c010b71102123

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They're hidden from mainstream society, leading parallel existences behind bars. But as Clair Weaver and Nick Cubbin discover, as they spend three days in prison, life inside isn't what you'd expect.

Clair Weaver and Nick Cubbin visit Australian women's prisons including Silverwater jail and discover life inside isn't what you'd expect.
With her plaited pigtails, lean limbs and childlike earnest, Allison could be in her teens at first glance.

Come a little closer, however, and you'll realise that she's a lot older than that. Etched into her face are the years of abusing drugs and the beatings from violent partners (including the time her injuries were so bad she lost a baby).

There are other clues of the life she's led: anxiety in the way her eyes dart around and a wariness of getting too involved with other inmates. There's also an unexpected eagerness to please.

Truth is, although she says this is her last stint inside, the 43-year-old mother-of-three feels most at home within the grey concrete grounds of Silverwater Women's Correctional Centre, a high-security prison in Sydney. It's here that she's found routine, stability and a measure of peace.

Step into her impeccably tidy cell and there are more clues about Allison: individual zip-locked bags of muesli - purchased with her earnings as a carer for mentally ill inmates - are lined up carefully in a box. Her single bed has been made with military precision with blankets folded on top. Nothing is out of place. Allison's job is physically and emotionally demanding but she likes it that way: by 4pm, when inmates are locked into their cells, she's tired.

The cousin of a famous Australian footballer, Allison has a supportive family in northern NSW. Unlike many of her fellow prisoners, she had a happy childhood. A bright and sporty little girl, she started school early aged four under the tutelage of nuns. But at 16, she quit school to become a hairdresser, went off the rails and started taking drugs.

"It wasn't until I was 19 that I started to use heroin," she tells The Weekly.

"I lived two very separate lives for a while. But then it started to catch up with me."

Today she's serving time for theft, alongside the daughters of her peers. Another generation is repeating the hopeless cycle of crime, drugs and incarceration.

"This time," says Allison, somewhat unconvincingly, "will be my last."

Across Australia, there are about 2,600 women living behind bars. While they're dwarfed by their 31,200 male counterparts, the female prison population is increasing at a much faster rate - and has blown out in the space of a generation.

"Many years ago," explains Patrick Aboud, the affable general manager at Silverwater Women's who has spent 28 years working in the prison system, "it was very unusual for a woman to commit a crime at all. Nowadays there's a lot more violence, murder and drugs."

Have a rummage through public records and you can see the shift. In NSW, for example, women accounted for just 2.1 per cent of the prison population in 1975. Today the figure has more than tripled to 7 per cent - and it's rising.

Look beyond numbers and you'll realise statistics about Australian women serving time in jail make for very grim reading. A third grew up in foster care, two-thirds have been in violent relationships and more than a quarter have attempted suicide. While you can't ignore or excuse their crimes, it's clear they are very much victims too.

This is, in other words, one seriously disadvantaged group of women. Not that they're too busy feeling sorry for themselves - none of the inmates The Weekly speaks with for this feature claims they shouldn't have ended up in prison.

Today there's a new interest in the lives of women in jail in the wake of the award-winning TV series Orange Is The New Black (aired by Netflix and on Foxtel in Australia). The US comedy drama tells the story of a woman torn away from her affluent life in New York and plunged into the gritty world of prison after being sentenced for a crime she committed 10 years previously.

From what The Weekly observes during three visits to different women's prisons, there are obvious parallels between the TV series and the reality of life behind bars. On the positive side, there's humour, banter and resourcefulness. Inmates appeal to guards for rules to be bent, exceptions to be allowed and compromises to be made. Indeed, there are aspects of prison life that resemble that of a girls' boarding school, albeit a strict one.

Yet scratch the surface and you'll find an underlying sense of frustration, guilt, helplessness and sadness from women who have reached rock bottom.

"I was shattered when my kids got taken off me," says Erin, 29, an ex-heroin addict who is serving time for burglary at the medium-security Dillwynia prison near Windsor in NSW.

"That's why I'm [taking part in a drug program] while I'm inside. I've got to prove to them I'm a changed person."

Prison correctional officers will tell you that women serving time are very different from their male counterparts. In a men's prison, you need to watch your back. Things can turn violent quickly. In a female facility, on the other hand, you're more likely to get caught up trying to resolve complex emotional disputes and relationship breakdowns.

"Men are high risk and low need," a correctional officer tells The Weekly with a wry smile, "Women, on the other hand, are low risk and high need."

Illustrating this, it's rare for women to try and escape (although a planned old-school attempt using knotted bed sheets was foiled by guards at Emu Plains, west of Sydney, 18 months ago).

Similarly, they're much less likely to be violent or start riots than their male counterparts. That's not to say it doesn't happen. Only a couple of months ago, two officers were taken to hospital after being attacked by a female inmate, who reportedly left one vomiting in distress after wrenching hair from her head. The attack sparked a lockdown at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre at Ravenhall in Melbourne's western suburbs.

In rehabilitation sessions, say staff, women prisoners are more forthcoming than men in talking about problems in their life. Maybe there's more to talk about: the ripple effects of them being incarcerated tend to be more severe as they're more likely to be primary carers to young children and the linchpins of households.

Male inmates, say prison staff, generally remain tight-lipped and prefer to spend their time working out at the gym - whereas the female facility lies empty and virtually unused. Perhaps unsurprisingly, women are also more likely to spend their money on chocolate and confectionary (there's a "buy up" system in which inmates can order discretionary goods).

"Women often come in like that," observes Patrick Aboud with a smile, holding up his pinkie finger to illustrate their thinness, "And come out overweight or obese. But we encourage them to take care of their health and appearance. The men tend to spend buy-ups on tuna or protein supplements, train at the gym and come out looking fit and lean."

Bans on tobacco - the mainstay of "buy-ups" and a habit for a whopping 84 per cent of inmates - are being rolled out across most states and territories, sparking unrest and disruption from aggrieved smokers. Demand for nicotine patches is expected to be high.

Silverwater Women's Correctional Centre is well-known as a high-security jail. This is where women who have committed the most serious offences go. Among current inmates are convicted child killer Kathleen Folbigg and accused murder Harriet Wran (daughter of ex-Premier Neville Wran). Not that high-profile names get any special treatment, says Patrick Aboud.

"They're just like any other prisoners," he says. "But they often feel safer here than on the street. And in jail, they've got status."

A grey and ageing facility, Silverwater is surrounded by a forbidding high-security fence. Photographer Nick Cubbin and I undergo fingerprint, retina and security scans before entering the prison on a cold and wet Wednesday late last year. We're not permitted to bring our mobile phones, nor to photograph outer walls for security reasons.

Once inside, we take a tour of the CSI building (that stands for Corrective Services Industries - nothing to do with the TV crime show), where groups of women are sorting and reassembling headsets for airlines including Qantas, Air New Zealand and Emirates.

Bags of used headphones are delivered by truck each morning. Inmates sit at tables, sorting through the parts, removing earpads, unknotting wires and grouping them by model. We're told the pay is 40c per bag of 50 completed headsets - which works out for most at a maximum of $4 a day. There's a bit of rude banter among the inmates about earmuffs. Before we leave, one of them shouts across to us with a wide grin, "We're professional muff divers - put that in your story!"

Aside from headset recalibration, the prison system is powered by a remarkably self-sufficient network of industries. In NSW, the inmates' uniforms or "greens" are produced by inmates at Goulburn Correctional Centre (and then given an individual twist by their female wearers - think rolled-up hems, shiny tracksuits and accessories). Fresh bread comes from Long Bay, pies from Wellington, apples and beef from Mannus, sandwiches from Bathurst and vegetables from Muswellbrook. At Emu Plains, there's a farm with 230 cows producing milk and dairy products. The fruit is rationed to prevent it being fermented and turned into alcohol. Correctional officers know the ingenuity of inmates with time on their hands shouldn't be underestimated.

"A few years back," recounts a security chief, "we had a smell of home brew wafting around but we couldn't figure out where it came from. We were looking in the grounds where it seemed to be coming from. The only thing there was a stake with no plant attached. So we pulled it up and realised it was a straw connected to two 20 Litre containers of home brew. They [the inmates] weren't very happy when we found it."

At the other end of the spectrum is the low-security Emu Plains. Located at the foot of the Blue Mountains, about an hour west of Sydney's CBD, this prison is green, rural and quiet. It's here that some inmates are permitted to live with their babies and young children.

Some argue that jail is no place for a baby but Jacaranda Cottage seems a pleasant oasis nonetheless. About 20 infants and children aged up to 12 live with - or have overnight stays on weekends and in school holidays with - their mothers here in a cluster of cottages around a large lawn with a playground. The outer perimeter resembles a pool fence.

It's h ere we meet softly-spoken Keisha, 22, and her baby son Jack*. She only discovered she was pregnant during a routine test on admission to prison as a first-time drug offender and considers herself lucky to have been accepted onto the mothers and children's program.

"My life's good at Jacaranda," she says, "because I have been able to bond with my newborn son."

Keisha says she's benefited from the prison's parenting programs and facilities, as well as drug rehabilitation. She gave birth under guard at a nearby public hospital.

Nevertheless, Keisha wouldn't choose to be here. Her every move is supervised by government departments, she points out, she's a long way from her family in far western NSW and she doesn't have any meaningful autonomy. Phone calls, made from old-school prison pay phones, are monitored.

Other low-risk prisoners reside at Emu Plains too. Down at the dairy, inmates get up early and don their gumboots to milk the cows and process the milk into cartons for distribution across the prison network.

Open-faced Josephine, 40, who works as a sweeper and was convicted of conspiracy to supply drugs, grew up in a strict Asian family and was dux of her school.

"I got sick and tired of studying," she says, "and I met the wrong people."

However, while serving a previous seven year sentence, she gained a Masters degree in psychology.

"You would think people would run away from here because the security is low," she says. "But once you have that privilege you don't want to lose it."

The growing number of women being sent to jail isn't the only big change since the 1970s and 1980s. Conditions inside have changed greatly too.

"Jail has changed that much since I first went in," says Allison, who estimates she's served about nine years in total with six months as the longest stint. "It used to be really hard. It's more like high school now."

Inmates' seniority can be measured by their personal identification numbers - known as master index numbers [MINs] - with those starting with a "1" meaning they were first admitted at least 30 years ago.

"These prisoners don't appreciate modern prisoners," says Patrick Aboud. "They came in before reforms and are hardened. They knew where they stood with each other. The younger ones don't care - they're more casual about doing time."

Health is a major issue for many inmates, who receive treatment through a dedicated channel of the public health system. It goes beyond addiction, mental health, dental problems and chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

As seen in the broader community, the prison population is ageing. At Silverwater Women's, for example, inmates range in age from 18 to 70.

"Our prison population is becoming elderly, particularly the women," reports Patrick Aboud. "It's tough when they are older. You see age-related issues like dementia and mobility problems."

Meanwhile, the rise of the drug "ice" is fuelling to the rise in crime committed by women, he says. "I work [at the mental health unit] with a lot of girls who are so sick from ice," says Allison.

"I have tried [ice] in the past but it's not for me because it hasn't been around for long enough to know the damage it's doing. It's scary - and it's everywhere now.

"I don't know if the girls in the mental health unit are going to come back from it."

Seeing the state of the women in this unit has been "a wake-up call" for Allison's fellow inmate Dellah, 42, who tells The Weekly she regrets ever trying ice.

"I never touched drugs in my life," she says. "But my 24-year-old daughter was taking ice so I decided to try it. I don't remember any of it. I burned the house down."

A new rehab program - the Yallul Kaliarna Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program - is being launched when The Weekly visits Dillwynia, a pleasant orange-bricked facility with sprawling lawns and surrounded by bushland. Then Attorney-General Brad Hazzard and Corrective Services NSW Commissioner Peter Severin are giving motivational talks to inmates about turning their lives around and making a fresh start.

"I don't want to look in the mirror and hate the person staring back at me anymore," says Emma, 35, who says she started taking heroin at 24 "to shut out the pain and noise in my head" after her boyfriend died in a motorbike accident and was convicted for supplying drugs.

"I can see where my life is leading me. I don't want to be coming in and out of jail anymore. I want to get out and help people like myself."

Many of these inmates are on a methadone program as they go through rehabilitation. Nevertheless, prison staff are on constant alert for drugs, which do get into the hands of inmates via visitors. They may be passed via hand or mouth. A deterrent, however, is strip searches for all inmates whenever someone is caught.

"It happens quite often," says Silverwater's Allison. "One does it and we all suffer."

In another case of criminal ingenuity, a staffer tells The Weekly, inmates have been caught retrieving drugs that had been thrown over the outer fence encased in tennis balls and sewn up in dead birds at Wellington prison in central NSW.

"The low-security inmates were picking them up and passing them onto medium-security inmates for distribution," he says.

Being locked up causes far more shame and stigma for women than it does for men, says Deidre Hyslop, then principle advisor to women offenders for Corrective Services NSW.

"One of the biggest issues is rejection from family and community," she says. "I think it's because they've committed a criminal offence - but then also an additional offence against society's views of what being a woman is."

This double standard is especially poignant during visiting hours.

"The men get huge support from family," says Deirdre Hyslop.

"[At Long Bay prison] there would be trails of women coming to visit: partners, mums, aunties and children. But the women inmates don't get the same thing. More often, it's friends they met in custody coming back to visit them."

Boyfriends, husbands and partners don't tend to hang around for long, note prison staff.

Life doesn't necessarily get any easier when women are released either. Accommodation is the biggest issue, says Karon Meehan, acting manager of services and programs at Silverwater Women's.

"Unless they have got support outside in the community, they often have got nowhere to sleep. And it can be very hard for them to get housing."

Finding and keeping a job with a stint in jail on your CV isn't easy either.

"I've heard stories of women who'd been doing really well," says Deirdre Hyslop, "then someone finds out [they've spent time in prison] and word gets out. Then they lose their job, go back to crime and fall apart."

Meanwhile, for prison staff, says Patrick Aboud, there's little public recognition yet morale and camaraderie are strong.

"No-one wants to hear about prisons," he says. "There's a 'lock them up and throw away the key' attitude. Yet there are a lot of dedicated staff who go above and beyond the call of duty. Their role is to maintain order but we have some guards who bathe and shower the mentally ill. We also have a laugh, we get along with the inmates. Everyone is a human being at the end of the day."

When The Weekly leaves Silverwater Women's to return to the relative warmth and comfort of our car, an experienced officer gives us a nod and a parting word.

"You see the same faces coming in and out," he tells us. "They'll do their time and leave. Then it gets cold, they might be sleeping rough and life gets on top of them. At least in here they get a roof over their heads and three meals a day. And they're not alone."

And so the cycle continues.

read more from

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What life is really like inside a women's prison

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They're hidden from mainstream society, leading parallel existences behind bars. But as Clair Weaver and Nick Cubbin discover, as they spend three days in prison, life inside isn't what you'd expect. Clair Weaver and Nick Cubbin visit Australian women's prisons including Silverwater jail and discover life inside isn't what you'd expect.

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This blog is also a list of commandments written by ex-prisoners in an attempt to make criminals aware of the prison code they should follow.

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What are the 10 prison commandments or "prison code" every inmate should know and follow?

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Answer (1 of 5): I do remember being a very young kid and sitting in the county jail, waiting for sentencing. I had a few convicts who took the time to prepare me for my first trip to the penitentiary. This was in the 1980's, prison was very, very different than today.

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The image below used to represent the content of the article “Welcome to Texas, prison rape capital of the U.S”. (Viliarreal, 2012) is a graphical representation to raise awareness of how serious rape against a prisoner is often considered a joking matter by wider society. The article discusses experiences of rape in prison and how it is often ignored or treated as insignificant by people of authority. This often forces prisoners to suffer in silence as they are continuously sexually assaulted. “it is easy to ignore an entire population that is locked away” (Viliarreal, 2012).

https://www.dallasvoice.com/texas-prison-rape-capital-u-s-10105138.html

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There is a vast difference in men and women’s jails and the experiences prisoners have in these institutions. There are advocators for both sides of the debate between different genders and who has the better treatment inside prison. Here it is argued that women suffer more than men in prison due to the gender bias they experience and they often have extra health and social needs.

This gender bias is addressed by using support programs and services aimed at helping women obtain reduced sentences, stop reoffending and assist them when leaving jail to re-establish a normal lifestyle (Vongkiatkajorn, 2016).

The difference in the personality traits and social interactions between men and women influence the way in which they behave and therefore the way in which the prison needs to operate successfully and safely. Many differences between men and women are noted in the article “What life is really like inside a women’s prison” published by Woman’s Weekly (Weaver & Cubbin, 2015),

"Men are high risk and low need,” whilst "Women, on the other hand, are low risk and high need" (Weaver & Cubbin, 2015)

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Rape and sexual violence in prison is a well discussed social topic.
Sexual violence in Australian prisons however is only reported as 2.5% of male prisoners and 3.9% of female prisoners being forced or d into unwanted sexual activity (University of New South Wales, 2011). This myth of inevitable occurrence of sexual assault is believed by about a third of men and women who are entering into the prison system fearing they will be sexually assaulted.

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We all know what goes on in prison. Or do we? A study examining sexual behaviour and sexual culture in jails in NSW and Queensland suggests that popular beliefs about prison sex are largely myths.

Contrary to portrayals of jails as sexually rampant places, a survey by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) found only 7% of male prisoners had had sex with another prisoner, while for female prisoners the number was higher at around one-third. And when sex did happen it was overwhelmingly consensual.

"Sexual coercion seems to be a disappearing phenomenon in prisons," said co-author of the study, Professor Basil Donovan, who is head of the Sexual Health Program at UNSW's Kirby Institute*.

"Only 2.5% of male prisoners and 3.9% of female prisoners reported that they had been forced or frightened into unwanted sexual activity. For almost half of those who reported coercion, this had only occurred once and for some the event dated back decades.

"With 60% of women and 13% of the men reporting sexual coercion - including rape - prior to their imprisonment, our evidence suggests that these people are at less risk of sexual coercion and rape inside prison than outside," Professor Donovan said.

"The reasons for sexual coercion fading out of prisons probably reflects a much improved prison culture, more sympathetic management applying the principle of duty-of care, fewer prisoners per cell, and video surveillance," he said.

This did not mean that misapprehensions about prison sex were trivial.

"Men and women who are about to be imprisoned fear what will happen, with about a third believing they will be sexually assaulted in prison," said the study's lead author, Professor Tony Butler, head of the Justice Health Program at the Kirby Institute.

"Defence lawyers regularly use 'rampant' prison rape as an argument for their clients to avoid custodial sentences. And the NSW Department of Corrective Services has supplied 30,000 condoms a month to prisoners since 1996 as part of their perceived duty-of-care."

As part of the survey, researchers questioned representative samples of 900 men and 134 women in 14 Queensland prisons and 1,118 men and 199 women in 28 NSW prisons. (The states were selected because NSW prisons distribute condoms and dental dams while Queensland does not).

Of the 7% of men who had engaged in sex, most (79%) said they did it for pleasure (for the majority sex was only occasional and did not involve anal intercourse), while 15% said they did it to garner protection. Only rarely did male prisoners have sex in return for drugs (2%) or other goods (4%). Interestingly, 10 of the 26 men who identified as gay reported having no sex while in prison.

Female prisoners were much more sexually active: 36% reported sex with other inmates, with oral sex involved in about 60% of encounters.

Professor Donovan said with so little anal sex occurring in male prisons, sex cannot account for the use of 30,000 condoms a month in NSW jails. So, what happens to all those condoms and dams?

"Before condoms were introduced into NSW prisons there were strong objections by prison officers who thought that they might encourage more sex and rape, or be used as weapons. These predictions were wrong," Professor Donovan said.

"The uses of condoms are varied. Some are liberated of their lubricant to be used as hair gel, others are used as household ties or masturbatory aids.

"Dental dams in women's prisons are rarely used for oral sex. Instead they are reborn as tobacco pouches, hair bands, and doilies."

A paper based on the research appears in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. A second paper is published in the magazine HIV Australia this month.

Collaborating in the research were the Sexual Health Program and the Justice Health Program of the Kirby Institute, and UNSW's School of Public Health and Community Medicine. Funding was provided by the NHMRC with additional resources from the NSW Health Department, Queensland Corrective Services, NSW Justice Health, UNSW Faculty of Medicine, and the National Drug Research Institute.

Media contact: Steve Offner, UNSW Media | 02 9385 8107|

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We all know what goes on in prison. Or do we? A study examining sexual behaviour and sexual culture in jails in NSW and Queensland suggests that popular beliefs about prison sex are largely myths.

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Stats on Sentencing in Australia, Women vs. Men

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Stats on Sentencing in Australia, Women vs. Men

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According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics at 30 June 2016:

3,094 women vs. 35,745 men in Australian adult corrective services facilities.

1,911 female vs., 24,723 male sentenced prisoners in Australia.

Homicide related offences: 9.4% of female vs. 8.9% of male sentenced prisoners.

Illicit drugs: 19% of female vs.12% of male prisoners

Acts intended to cause injury: 16% of female vs. 18% of male prisoners.

Sexual Assault: 2% of females vs. 14% of male prisoners.

Fraud and deception: 9% of females vs. 2% of male prisoners

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4125.0~Sep%202017~Main%20Features~Safety%20and%20Justice~8

Jeffries & Bond, (2010) discuss the stats as well. Their study “Sex and Sentencing Disparity in South Australia’s Higher Courts” found a direct relationship between sex and sentencing where women were “less likely to be imprisoned and, when sentenced to prison received shorter terms.”

Women offend less often with less serious crimes: women's rates of offending during 2006 -2007 were 747 per 100,000 compared with a male rate of 2,699 (Jeffries & Bond, 2010).

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Why are Sexual Offences Treated so Differently?

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Why are Sexual Offences Treated so Differently?

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Teaching is a significant influencing job role that both male and females are required to perform in today’s society. The power a teacher may have over students is often taken for granted or abused.  Both men and women abuse this power by having sexual relationships with their students who are often under the age of consent.

This article "Hot For Teacher: Gender Bias in Sentencing of Teachers that have Sex with Their Students" by Amanda Cairns shows the major differences in some of the sentences handed down to men and women teachers for sexual assault charges. It is discussed that females “get a slap on the wrist compared to the hefty jail time male teachers must serve.” The article makes a good point that the media greatly impacts the degree in which society views these relationships as deviant. Pop culture glamorizes sexual relationships between older women and young boys in movies such as American Pie and The Graduate.

The stereotypes that are often portrayed surrounding sexual relationships between men and women should have no place in the criminal justice system but it often results in lenient sentencing for women teachers compared to men (Cairns, 2012).

http://campbelllawobserver.com/hot-for-teacher-gender-bias-in-sentencing-of-teachers-that-have-sex-with-their-students/

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In these two articles, both written by and placed on websites of different law firms, the differences in sentencing between men and women are discussed. The articles make the point that women often receive much lighter sentences than men. The articles both state that the criminal activity is very different between the genders and the reason which they commit the crimes are also very different.
The overall purpose of these articles however, is to not only make the reader aware that this discrimination occurs, but to educate offenders about the need for lawyers to represent them to prevent any bias activity. Essentially when searching the internet for information about discrimination in sentencing it leads you to the layers websites.

(Donahue and Sowa: Attorneys at Law, 2018) (Sydney Criminal Lawyers, 2015) (LY Lawyers, 2015)

https://lylawyers.com.au/why-do-female-criminals-get-lighter-sentences-than-men/
https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/do-women-get-lighter-sentences-than-men/
https://www.dui-criminal-lawyers.com/dsmlaw-blog/men-and-women-treated-differently-criminal-justice-system

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This article discusses whether or not being a woman is grounds for a lenient punishment.  It is on website where readers can comment and respond to the article and give their personal opinion on the topic. The reasons the article states for lenient punishment are:

YES to leniency

Women are more likely to learn from mistakes

Children may be orphaned

Women are considered less Violent overall

Jail affects women more adversely than it does to men.

NO to leniency

More women will become involved in crime if little punishment.

Equality? This should mean equal sentencing for men and women.

Future of children not positive if raised with bad mother.

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Can being a woman be a ground for lenient punishment?

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Recently, a woman who assisted a man in a robbery case pleaded for lesser punishment. Ground - 3 minor children and gender. We are taking a lot of steps for gender equality. Is a lenient punishment for women fair in the world we want to be in?

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Chivalry Theory

The chivalry theory developed by Pollak in 1950 and evolving into paternalism by Nagel and Weitzman argues that women are “maternal, passive, weak and dependant on men” (Franklin & Frean, 2008) and are viewed as the “weaker sex who need to be looked after” (Gelb, 2010). Because of this women are often treated differently when it comes to sentencing, as they are protected from the stigma of being a criminal and prison life and believed to be less able to tolerate punishment (Gelb, 2010).

Gender Conflict Theory

Gender conflict theory proposes that women are the subordinate gender socially and are less powerful against men (Franklin & Frean, 2008). Women are seen to be more powerless, economically dependent and therefore lower levels of formal social control is needed for women (Gelb, 2010).

Feminist Perspectives

The feminist perspective discussed by Daly (1987) defined three beliefs of manifestation of paternalism in courts:

Women are more likely to be carers of children

Women fulfil familial obligations more responsibly than men

The care of children is more important the\an breadwinning in family maintenance (Daly, 1987).

These reasons are used to explain that women’s particular circumstances and life courses lead sentencer’s to see women as less dangerous, culpable and more likely to reform (Gelb, 2010).

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This is a graphical representation of the sentencing differences between men and women in Australian higher courts. It is clear that the women are getting either suspended sentences or lighter sentencing than the men (Gelb, 2010).

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Conway, W. R. (2011). The Ten Prison Commandments: A Smart Guide for Surviving Prison. United States of America: AuthorHouse.

Curzer, M. (2016, February 24). Prison Rape is not a Punchline. bitchmedia. Retrieved from https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/prison-rape-not-punchline

de Viggiani, N. (2012). Trying to be Something You are Not: Masculine Perfomances within a Prison Setting. Men and Masculinities, 15(3), 271 - 291. doi:10.1177/1097184X12448464

Fuller, J. D. (2014). The Ten Prison Commandments: The Ten Rules You Must Know Before You Enter a County Jail, State Or Federal Prison. Prison Coach Speaking LLC.

Haney, C. (2011). The Perversions of Prison: On the Origins of Hypermasculinity and Sexual Violence in Confinement. American Criminal Law Review, 48(121), 121 - 141.

Iwamoto, D. K., Gordon, D. M., Oliveros, A., Perez-Cabello, M. A., Brabham, T., Lanza, S. A., & Dyson, W. (2012). The role of masculine norms and informal support on mental health in incarcerated men. Psychology of Men and Masculintiy, 13(3), 283 - 293. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.une.edu.au/10.1037/a0025522

Karp, D. R. (2010). Unlocking Men, Unmasking Masculinities: Doing Men;'s Work in Prison. The Journal of Men's Studies, 18(1), 63 - 83.

McMah, L., & Palin , M. (2016, February 13). Jailhouse justice: A look at inmate society in Australian jails. news.com.au. Retrieved from https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/jailhouse-justice-a-look-at-inmate-society-in-australian-jails/news-story/f14a395233ea83b6967c010b71102123

University of New South Wales. (2011, Aril 13). Sex in Australian prisons: the facts. UNSW Sydney Newsroom. Retrieved from https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/sex-australian-prisons-facts

Viliarreal, D. (2012, March 22). Welcome to Texas, prison rape capital of the U.S. Dallas Voice. Retrieved from https://www.dallasvoice.com/texas-prison-rape-capital-u-s-10105138.html