Women are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. prison population, a trend fueled by their growing involvement in drug crimes and by longer sentences in general. But when behind bars, their needs are often overlooked because of tight budgets and the attention given to sex offenders and death-row inmates, advocates say. Prison officials from around the country will gather this weekend in Bloomington to talk about how to deal with the rising number of incarcerated women — more than 180,000 in prisons and jails nationwide, according to Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Some corrections experts say those women too often are run through treatment programs created long ago with men in mind. And women, these experts say, are simply too different for that.
Men are coached to break off relationships with unsavory friends who would make it hard for them to go straight. Women in prison — many of them past victims of rape, incest or physical abuse — need programs that help them build healthy relationships.
Since 1995, the number of women in state and federal prisons has swelled more than 50 percent, outstripping an increase of about 32 percent for men. Female jail populations are growing even faster.
Most are mothers. Between 66 percent and 90 percent have children, at least two-thirds of them younger than 18. When a mother is locked up, her children usually end up in foster care or with a relative other than their father. By contrast, most children with imprisoned fathers stay with their mothers.
Advocates say programs that help mothers behind bars maintain relationships with their children are key to reducing crime over the long run. In prison, mother-child time is usually fleeting. At Shakopee, pregnant inmates go to a local hospital to give birth and then return to prison without the baby. Some women lose parental rights while they're serving time. Ask an inmate about her child and tears follow.
The Shakopee program isn't the only one of its kind.
Women's prisons in New York, Nebraska, Ohio and Washington let inmates who meet certain requirements live with their newborns, typically until the child is about 18 months old. An Indiana prison offers summer day camp for children and mothers. A facility in Vermont hosts a Head Start program that brings female offenders, children and caregivers together regularly.
Until recently, prisons have emphasized making sure women get comparable treatment, work and education offerings as male inmates. What works better, advocates say, is to tailor programs to women, many of whom got involved in crime through significant men in their lives.
More prison systems are starting to use female-oriented treatment programs that focus on healing from traumatic experiences, Buell said. At Shakopee, women can participate in classes on crime victims, depression, grief and anger management. A boot camp program for nonviolent female offenders in Northern Minnesota holds "restorative justice" group meetings where women talk about important relationships in their lives and how to deal with them when they're released.