Monica Puzio1
Monica Puzio
Professor Raguso
Women in Prison
October 28, 2014
Substitute Assignment for EMCF Tour Over the years, more and more women are being incarcerated. The most typical convictions resulting in imprisonment for women are usually because of dealing drugs, economic reasons and/or the killing of their husbands due to the many years of abuse. A battered woman for instance may feel trapped in her relationship and her only way out is to murder her significant other and although sometimes prison may be a scream for help, it just might be the opposite. Prisons often create many hardships for women. While imprisoned, a women’s life may be deprived due to the sudden separation and later loss of their children, withdrawal of drugs, loss of liberty, deprivations of autonomy and adjusting to institutionalization and the culture of prison life. Based on the documentary I viewed in class, I have learned a lot about the prison life and inmates at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility. The main reason for women in prison is due to drugs and substance abuse. Throughout the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, about 70%-80% are convicted on drug charges. Due to the immense number of drug charges, correctional officers throughout the facility often check the cells of the female offenders for drugs and weapons especially if they are showing aggressive tendencies. Most of the females that are incarcerated in Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, are women who came from dysfunctional families. They may have ran away from home at an early age and learned survival strategies on the street. Often times these female offenders are arrested and re-victimized. For instance in the documentary, an African-American female mentioned that her whole family sold drugs: her mother, sister, brother, father etc. This is an example of a dysfunctional family. Because of substance abuse or dealing of drugs, the female offender became dependent on the vicious cycle and therefore was arrested.
Professor Raguso
Women in Prison
October 28, 2014
Substitute Assignment for EMCF Tour Over the years, more and more women are being incarcerated. The most typical convictions resulting in imprisonment for women are usually because of dealing drugs, economic reasons and/or the killing of their husbands due to the many years of abuse. A battered woman for instance may feel trapped in her relationship and her only way out is to murder her significant other and although sometimes prison may be a scream for help, it just might be the opposite. Prisons often create many hardships for women. While imprisoned, a women’s life may be deprived due to the sudden separation and later loss of their children, withdrawal of drugs, loss of liberty, deprivations of autonomy and adjusting to institutionalization and the culture of prison life. Based on the documentary I viewed in class, I have learned a lot about the prison life and inmates at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility. The main reason for women in prison is due to drugs and substance abuse. Throughout the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, about 70%-80% are convicted on drug charges. Due to the immense number of drug charges, correctional officers throughout the facility often check the cells of the female offenders for drugs and weapons especially if they are showing aggressive tendencies. Most of the females that are incarcerated in Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, are women who came from dysfunctional families. They may have ran away from home at an early age and learned survival strategies on the street. Often times these female offenders are arrested and re-victimized. For instance in the documentary, an African-American female mentioned that her whole family sold drugs: her mother, sister, brother, father etc. This is an example of a dysfunctional family. Because of substance abuse or dealing of drugs, the female offender became dependent on the vicious cycle and therefore was arrested.