Jul 24th, 2008
Posted by Suzanne Ito, ACLU at 5:27pm	Prisoners' Rights, Women's Rights

Court: Stop Putting Women in Men's Prisons

This decision was a long time coming: Today the New Jersey Superior Court ordered the state's Department of Corrections (DOC) to stop transferring women prisoners to the New Jersey State Prison (NJSP), a men’s supermax prison.

In March 2007, the DOC transferred approximately 40 women prisoners from the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, New Jersey's sole women's prison, to the NJSP. As a result of this move, the women are deprived of the programming and services they received at Edna Mahan, and are subject to more repressive conditions than other prisoners incarcerated for similar crimes at either prison.

In December 2007, the ACLU Women's Rights Project and the ACLU of New Jersey filed a lawsuit, Jones v. Hayman, charging that the oppressive conditions the women face at NJSP are unconstitutional and discriminatory based on sex.

While we're thrilled with today's decision, it didn't come without some controversy. In March, we learned that James Drumm, Assistant Administrator of the NJSP, offered women prisoners sentence reductions in exchange for making false statements describing the conditions at NJSP as better than they were. After one prisoner told us about the offer, she was beaten by a prison guard. Women prisoners described a campaign of intimidation to punish and silence women who told us about what was going on.

The court's decision will prevent the DOC from moving any more women into the men's prison while our lawsuit proceeds. The court also granted our clients' request to pursue their claims as a class action suit, and denied a motion by the DOC to dismiss the case.

Permalink |	Prisoners' Rights, Women's Rights

Tags: njprison

1. Common Sense Says:
   Aug 8th, 2008 at 8:33am

   Which is it Suzanne Ito? Do you want equal rights for women or not?

   Sounds like the ACLU can't get it's act together. One section of your HATE group wants to integrate women with men and Suzanne's group wants to segregate them. Do you people talk to one another or do you just go off half cocked attacking the perceived abuse du jour!

   Nikki Anthony is a talented 8th-grader at Breckinridge County Middle School. She and her parents prefer that she be in co-ed math classes, learning to compete and work together with boys, which she feels will prepare her for high school (which is co-ed in Breckinridge) and the real world. But at the beginning of the school year, the school decided that what was better for her was to be in a girls-only algebra class. She was offered no choice, and her parents had no say in the matter.

2. Anti-Atheist Says:
   Aug 13th, 2008 at 8:05am

   I say let them sleep on a cold damp floor. There are many poor people who have NO TV, NO Bed, NO recreation and NO food. If you are a CRIMINAL and yes we are talking about law breaking CRIMINALS who HURT innocent law abiding citizens, then maybe if you know the conditions of a jail is worse then your free existence, maybe you will think twice about committing a crime and using our tax money to keep you in jail. HEY ACLU, WHAT ABOUT VICTIM RIGHTS???

3. Anti-Atheist Says:
   Aug 14th, 2008 at 12:33pm

   Is "Prisoner's Rights" an OXYMORON or should it be just plain MORONIC? WHAT ABOUT THE VICTIM??!!!!

4. blubeatty Says:
   Sep 27th, 2008 at 5:08pm

   I came from a prison where overcrowding was a problem and they shipped us to a maximum facility in texes that was co-ed, the problem with alot of women and men in the system is co-dependancy and merging the two sexes together under one roof was encouraging un-healthy relationships wich is a huge problem for many people in the system. It is only allowing the offenders to stay stuck on tale-tale relationships and not seek the help needed. There was alot of sexual activities that went on and even one woman who got pregnant. The DOC is ascing for these problems because the only answer to society's problems is prison and it causes over crowding. There needs to be more counceling that is actually worth the time and money instead of encouraging more unhealthy behavior among criminals.

5. blubeatty Says:
   Sep 27th, 2008 at 5:18pm

   Dear anti-atheist, thou shalt not judge, have you ever made a mistake well the only one that can judge for that is our maker. Believe that people can change because you are out numbered by the ones who have broke the law so instead of saying to hell with them be part of something that will make the world a better place instead of exactly like the ones hurting it. I now have a husband, beautiful baby boy and am a productive member of society, that is an option for many, but attitudes like the one displayed on this page make people want to lash out, it don't help anyone. We have to work togethor and not against each other would you kick your child to the streets for making a mistake, i'm not saying praise murderers, but don't damn with out the authority.

6. ACLU Sux Says:
   Oct 29th, 2008 at 12:39pm

   I believe that women have the right to not get hit by her husband, but the man is the leader of the household.