Incarcerated Women

It is well documented that women who were sexually victimized in childhood are twice as likely to be revictimized in adulthood. A large number of incarcerated women have experienced multiple forms of lifetime violence. Physical and sexual violence within correctional facilities is widespread and poorly addressed despite the growing awareness around the issue. Women of childbearing age are the fastest growing population in the system. This is a result of drug policies and again, racism. Two-thirds of women of color with similar drug charges as white women are in prison while their counterparts enjoy being surveilled via probation. These women face ultra-dehumanizing conditions when they give birth in prisons, often alone with a male prison guard with a gun watching them. They, like other women who experience a greater degree of systematic oppression, are often treated like guinea pigs for students and others.