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| Women's prison needs serious help |
| By concordmonitor.com - Rebecca Mcguire |
| Published: 12/08/2011 |
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Concord NH -- Not long ago, I was "Jane Public," living a nice middle-class life with a college degree, a lovely family, a great job and a nice home. Through a series of extremely bad choices, my home for now is the Goffstown women's prison. Although the initial shock was tremendous, my journey has provided me time for personal growth and productivity as well as an unusual opportunity to be a role model and a spokeswoman. I was one of those people who carried an apathetic attitude toward the justice and prison systems - not anymore. My eyes and heart have been opened to a lost culture that the average citizen never wants to think about. As a recent U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report stated, this prison is small and, in many ways, severely inadequate for even the 100 women housed here. Many of the problems could be solved without building a bigger facility. Consider this: Building a bigger prison is like a woman buying a bigger pocketbook - the bigger the purse, the more she will fill it with unnecessary items! The corrections system will do the same if given the opportunity to build a larger prison. In my experience here, medical, mental health and occupational resources for inmates are virtually non-existent. Even more basic, there is an overwhelming need to instill basic human values such as kindness, compassion, respect, trust and family. Many inmates can barely function, even in this controlled environment. With such issues, how can anyone realistically be expected to re-enter society and act appropriately, responsibly and become a productive citizen? There is very little here for those facing critical personal issues: lack of education, no support system, financial burdens, raising children and trying to find safe housing. It is no wonder that New Hampshire has one of the highest recidivism rates for women in the United States. This is shameful and embarrassing (or at least it should be) for the citizens of this state as well as the people who operate this system. The population in this prison is barely 100. With such a small number of inmates the task of "corrections" should not be rocket science. I cannot begin to count the number of women who have returned here in the two years I have lived here - not just once, but two, three, four times. For many women this is a better place to be, as inadequate as it is, than having to function in society. Can't state officials see that the current system is not working? Maybe it is time to take a risk and try a new approach. What about developing a more positive reinforcement approach to corrections? Just maybe a more enlightened, positive environment and culture inside prison walls would help to change the fate of more of the women. What about incorporating well-developed business practices to assist in keeping the day-to-day operations running efficiently - particularly communication and organizational skills? A well-oiled operation translates to a better use of the workforce and a more efficient use of dollars. Read More. |
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