Download Lecture Some facts about women prisoners

Prison staff and harm reduction
Additional module:
Women prisoners
Training Criminal Justice Professionals
in Harm Reduction Services for Vulnerable Groups
funded by the
European Commission
Directorate General for Health and Consumers
Session 1
Women prisoners
Women in prison
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Lecture
Some facts about women prisoners
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Percentage of female prisoners
in selected European countries
Source: World Female Imprisonment List
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Some facts about women
prisoners
 The number of women in prison is increasing at a much
greater rate than men
 Most women serve short sentences and are mostly
imprisoned for non-violent offences (property or drug
related offences)
 When a woman is imprisoned, there are likely to be
special consequences for other members of her family
 Women prisoners are a particularly vulnerable group
often subject to stigma and gender discrimination in
prison and in the community
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Female problem drug users in
prison
 At least 75% of women in prison have had some
sort of drug- or alcohol-related problem at the
time of arrest
 Drug use amongst women is increasing
 Rapid increase amongst women injecting drug users
(IDUs) sharing injecting equipment
 Some of these women will end up in the prison
populations
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Activity
Brainstorming:
Why does the number of women receiving
custodial sentences increase?
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Session 2
Women prisoners
Problem drug use and special
issues women face in prison
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Activity
Special issues and problems women face in
prison
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Special issues and problems women face
in prison
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Women’s role in the family
 Women play a key role in the family having
responsibility for children and other family
members
 Imprisonment impacts on women and their
families
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Accommodation far from home
 Prisons are designed for male prisoners
 Women are frequently housed in annexes of male
prisons or sent to special women’s prisons
 Women prisoners are often located significant
distances away from their homes and families
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Pregnancy and being a mother
 Women prisoners are often mothers
 55% of women prisoners have at least one child under
16 years
 34% are single parents
 In some countries special mother and baby
sections exist
 How long a prisoner can keep her baby in prison
varies
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Mother to child transmission
of HIV
 Women drug users who are also pregnant often receive little
accurate information about prevention of mother-to-child
transmission of HIV
 Rates of transmitting HIV to newborn babies can be reduced
with right precautions
 Infection can occur any time during pregnancy but usually
occurs at birth
 Mothers who are HIV-infected should generally not breastfeed their babies
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Pregnant women drug users
 It is not recommended that pregnant women should
be advised to quit heroin
 Methadone is the treatment of choice at this time
 Women with problem drug use who are also
pregnant are often more motivated to change their
drug use and risk behaviour
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Harm reduction
 There is a lack of harm reduction tools in prisons
let alone those designed specifically for women
 Women prisoners should:
 Receive information and services specifically designed
for their needs (e.g. on HIV transmission from mother
to infant)
 Be enabled to protect themselves from infectious
diseases (e.g. through the provision of condoms and
skills in negotiating safer sex)
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Sex workers
 Drug dependence can push women into sex work
 Sex workers often fear having their children
removed
 Providing harm reduction for sex workers who
use drugs is problematic
 Motivation to earn money (for drugs) can override fear
of violence and reality of risks
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Experience of abuse I.
 Imprisoned women are significantly more likely to have been
physically or sexually abused than men
 70% with experience of severe physical violence by a parent
 59% of female prisoners with experience of sexual abuse as
children (Browne et al., 1999)
 Experienced abuse and resulting trauma are directly linked to
female pathways of crime
 Abuse and resulting trauma may be responsible for
marginalisation from social norms and problem drug use
 Possibly resulting to an increase in criminal behaviour
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Experience of abuse II.
 Many women are forced by their partners to engage
in
 Criminal activity
 Prostitution
 Sex industry
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Health care and hygiene
 Women prisoners have specific health and hygiene
needs
 Access to a woman doctor and to specialists in women’s
health should be guaranteed
 High rates of mental health problems are found among
the women prison population
 Tendency to self harm and suicide
 90% of women prisoners have either a mental health
disorder, problem drug use or both
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Preparation for release I.
 Less access to education and training compared
to male prisoners
 Work is limited
 Limited access to vocational training
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Preparation for release II.
 Women may face difficulties when negotiating return of
their children
 Women with problem drug use will need services to help
them protect themselves after release
 Information should be provided on
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Harm reduction
Access to evidence-based drug treatment
Sexual and reproductive health services
Housing
Child support
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Activity: case studies
 Case study 1
Janis is a 19-year-old shop worker. At arrival at the prison she requests
testing for hepatitis C. In a discussion of risk factors, she admits to
occasionally using heroin and thinks that she might be pregnant.
 Case Study 2
Children can remain with their mothers in prison up until they are three
years old. After the age of six months, children have to be in the nursery
during the day while their mothers are at work. This can be distressing for
some mothers. What can be done to reassure the mothers and reduce
their distress?
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Activity
Negotiation skills for condom use
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