Women in Prison
Every day, in courtrooms, legislatures, and in the public square, the ACLU fights to ensure that the criminal justice system treats women and girls fairly, that it protects the health and safety of women in its custody, and that it facilitates their successful reentry into their communities.
In the last 25 years, the number of women and girls caught in the criminal justice system has skyrocketed; many have been swept up in the "war on drugs" and subject to increasingly punitive sentencing policies for non-violent offenders. There are now more than 200,000 women behind bars and more than one million on probation and parole. Many of these women struggle with substance abuse, mental illness, and histories of physical and sexual abuse. Few get the services they need. The toll on women, girls, and their families is devastating.
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Every day, in courtrooms, legislatures, and in the public square, the ACLU fights to ensure that the criminal justice system treats women and girls fairly, that it protects the health and safety of women in its custody, and that it facilitates their successful reentry into their communities.
Resources
Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA) (2011 resource): More than 1 million women are currently incarcerated or otherwise under the control of the justice system in the U.S. Of these women, a reported 85-90% have a history of domestic and sexual abuse. Their involvement in the justice system leaves many incarcerated women vulnerable to revictimization.
Women Prisoners, Women's History (2011 blog): Women's History Month and International Women's Day celebrate the strides toward dignity and equality that women have made around the world. They are also a chance to reflect on the work we still have to do, and the particular challenges faced by women at the margins, including those in the criminal justice system.
Women and the Criminal Justice System (2009 feature): In the last 25 years, the number of women and girls caught in the criminal justice system has skyrocketed; many have been swept up in the "war on drugs" and subject to increasingly punitive sentencing policies for non-violent offenders. There are now more than 200,000 women behind bars and more than one million on probation and parole. Many of these women struggle with substance abuse, mental illness, and histories of physical and sexual abuse. Few get the services they need. The toll on women, girls, and their families is devastating.
We Can End Prison Rape (2011 blog)
ACLU Lawsuit Charging Inadequate Care At Women's Prison To Proceed (2009 blog)
Video: Pregnant in Prison (2009 video)
Most Popular
Custody and Control: Conditions of Confinement in New York’s Juvenile Prisons for Girls (2006 feature)
Words From Prison: Sexual Abuse in Prison (2006 feature)
Words From Prison - Did You Know...? (2006 resource)
Words From Prison: The Collateral Consequences of Incarceration (2006 resource)
Words From Prison - What You Can Do (2006 resource)
Words From Prison: Women's Incarceration and Loss of Parental Rights (2006 resource)
Words From Prison: Drug Policy, Race and Women's Incarceration (2006 resource)
Girls Abused in New York’s Juvenile Prisons, Say ACLU and Human Rights Watch (2006 press release)
Custody and Control: Conditions of Confinement in New York’s Juvenile Prisons for Girls (2006 pdf)
ACLU of New Mexico Demands End to Overcrowding in Women’s Prison (2006 press release)
