A Global View of Women, Prison, and Aftercare: A Call for Reform

Abstract

Ending violence against women—part of the priority theme of the CSW65—is an international human rights issue. We must prevent and combat violence against all women, including those who are incarcerated worldwide. Incarcerated women are among the most marginalized populations; they have suffered numerous victimizations without ever seeing their perpetrators brought to justice. Though most incarcerated women have committed non-violent offenses, they are locked away in prisons, far away from their loved ones, and subject to inhumane conditions. According to international human rights law, preventing VAW is the responsibility of the State in all contexts, including prisons. In this article, we acknowledge the global treatment of women in prison as a form of State violence against women and provide policy reform for incarcerated women worldwide. We propose four strategies to reform women's incarceration worldwide: (1) recognizing and dismantling systemic and institutionalized discrimination and biases; (2) abolition of prison sentences for non-violent offenders; (3) restorative approaches to aftercare (or reentry); and (4) making children the priority.

Incarcerated in a Pandemic: How COVID-19 Exacerbated the “Pains of Imprisonment”

“…First, we honor and acknowledge the lives lost and the families who have suffered because of COVID-19. In doing so, we urge prison administrators and policymakers to keep system-impacted people at the center of the reform movement (Beichner & Hagemann, 2022; Beichner et al, 2021; Birgin et al, 2022; Sentencing Project, 2022). It is imperative that we seek the insight of people in our prisons and jails when developing policies and practices that impact their day-to-day lives.…”

Conditions that influence coping mechanisms in Latina mothers affected by incarceration: A secondary analysis using the vulnerability framework

“…Likewise, for most women, trauma and abuse continued during incarceration (Beichner & Hagemann, 2022;Park, 2022). Consequently, the treatment of incarcerated women could be considered "a form of [s]tate violence against women" (Beichner & Hagemann, 2022, p. 1790.…”

“…Thus, a relational pathway to incarceration emerges that paradoxically continues after incarceration when many women involuntarily return to abusive partners and unsafe environments to meet their basic needs (Turney & Wildeman, 2018); this was the case for all participants in our study, several of whom described returning to abusive partners who were also the source of their substance abuse. Likewise, for most women, trauma and abuse continued during incarceration (Beichner & Hagemann, 2022; Park, 2022). Consequently, the treatment of incarcerated women could be considered “a form of [s]tate violence against women” (Beichner & Hagemann, 2022, p. 1790).…”

“…Likewise, for most women, trauma and abuse continued during incarceration (Beichner & Hagemann, 2022; Park, 2022). Consequently, the treatment of incarcerated women could be considered “a form of [s]tate violence against women” (Beichner & Hagemann, 2022, p. 1790). Similarly, women in our study described how inhumane treatment from corrections officers negatively affected their ability to cope, even causing feelings of constant worry, fear, and stress, further perpetuating childhood abuse trauma.…”

Offending Trajectories in an Australian Birth Cohort: Differences and Similarities Across Sex

“…While females constitute a smaller proportion of the offending population than males, there has been a significant global increase in criminal justice system contact among females (Beichner et al, 2022;Steffensmeier et al, 2023). Over the past decade, the number of females in contact with the criminal justice system has increased by nearly 60% worldwide, while the corresponding increase for males was 22% (Fair & Walmsley, 2022).…”