M-A-D Prison Ministry
Prison Legal News
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/links/
Women's Issues - Prison and Corrections
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California Coalition for Women Prisoners-http://womenprisoners.org/
"CCWP is a grassroots social justice organization, with members inside and outside prison, that challenges the institutional violence imposed on women, transgender people, and communities of color by the prison industrial complex (PIC)."
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State Standards for Pregnancy-Related Health Care in Prison-https://www.aclu.org/state-standards-pregnancy-related-health-care-and-abortion-women-prison-map
This ACLU-sponsored site provides state-by-state information concerning pregnancy-related prison health care, plus links to state policies and contact details.
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ACLU - Women in prison, prisoners' rights-https://www.aclu.org/issues/womens-rights/women-and-criminal-justice?redirect=prisoners-rights/women-prison
This section of the ACLU's National Prison Project website is related to legal cases/lawsuits and issues involving women prisoners.
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Amnesty International - Women's Human Rights-http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/women-s-rights
Amnesty International's Women in Prison Fact Sheet page includes information on sexual assault, sentencing, medical neglect and more.
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Women and Prison-http://womenandprison.org/
Women and Prison tells stories of women's experiences in the criminal justice system, and "serves as a dedicated space for prisoners, those previously incarcerated, activists, students, academics and everyone who strives for social justice."
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Prison Activist Resource Center - Women in Prison-https://www.prisonactivist.org/resources/women
Information page maintained by PARC on issues related to incarcerated women (includes links to useful articles and other resources).
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Women in Prison Project-http://www.correctionalassociation.org/pp/about-women-in-prison-project
A project of the Correctional Association of New York, the Women in Prison Project provides services, programs and advocacy in New York state, and offers useful fact sheets on women-in-prison issues.
Survivors of Abuse and Incarceration
http://www.correctionalassociation.org/issue/domestic-violence
HIV and Healthcare in Prison
http://www.correctionalassociation.org/issue/hiv-health
Families and Incarceration
http://www.correctionalassociation.org/issue/families
6 DEPRESSING FACTS ABOUT BEING A WOMAN IN PRISON YOU PROBABLY DON’T KNOW — BUT NEED TO
While binge-watching Orange is the New Black, I found myself thinking, “prison doesn’t look that bad.” Most of the prisoners developed strong friendships, they have jobs to keep them busy, they can sneakily make hooch, and they always look flawless, despite the supposed lack of beauty supplies. Yes, a few scenes give a glimpse of how difficult life in prison can be, but overall, the show glamorizes incarceration. Life in a real prison is anything but glamorous, especially for women. Because prisons don’t properly account for women’s needs, like prenatal care and feminine products, women face a very different reality than men when incarcerated in the U.S. So, what’s it like to be a woman in prison?
As a result of overall incarceration rates skyrocketing in America, there are more women behind bars than ever before. In 2010, there were nearly 113,000 women in prison, up from only 15,000 in 1980. Including women in local jails, there are currently more than 200,000 American women incarcerated. Most of these women are imprisoned for nonviolent crimes, like drug and property offenses, according to a study by The Sentencing Project.
Being a female inmate is not easy — there are multiple daily struggles that men in prison simply don’t have to worry about, because, well, they’re men. Here are six things about being a women in prison that you probably didn’t know.
Getting Your Period Is 10 Times Worse
If you think getting your period is bad as a free civilian, imagine getting it in prison. Female inmates are given a shockingly low number of pads each month — Chandra Bozelko, a former inmate at York Correctional Institution in Connecticut, wrote in The Guardian that each woman was given 10 pads per month (which means they can only change it once a day for a five-day period). Bozelko also described pads flying out of women’s pants because they were forced to wear them for days and the adhesive wore off. Similarly, a study by The Correctional Association of New York found that the majority of female inmates interviewed didn’t think they were given an adequate amount of feminine products. Inmates that have money can buy additional pads and tampons in the prison commissary, but those without have to suffer through it every month.
Prenatal Care Is Almost Nonexistent
According to The Sentencing Project’s report, one in 25 women in state prisons and one in 33 in federal prisons are pregnant when they’re first incarcerated, and these women often don’t receive the medical care expecting mothers desperately need. The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) graded each state on its prenatal care policies, and gave 38 states a failing grade for not giving pregnant inmates adequate prenatal health care. According to the NWLC, 43 states don’t require pregnant women to have medical exams, 41 don’t require prenatal nutrition counseling or the provision of appropriate food, 34 don’t require screening or treatment for women with high-risk pregnancies, and 48 don’t offer pregnant women HIV screenings.
You Can Be Shackled While Giving Birth
Pregnant inmates can also be forced to wear shackles while giving birth, which makes it more difficult for doctors to assess the condition of mothers and fetuses, and makes labor and delivery more painful (as if it’s not already painful enough). The Federal Bureau of Prisons stopped shackling inmates in 2008, but many state prisons still do it. According to the NWLC, 22 states either have no policy prohibiting the use of restraints or have policies which explicitly allow the use of leg irons or waist chains on prisoners giving birth. Also, 31 states don’t require input from a medical professional before placing a pregnant woman in shackles, putting them and their baby at risk.
You’re More Likely To Be Sexually Assaulted
Statistics from the Bureau of Justice show that 15 percent of female inmates have been sexually assaulted, and while women make up only seven percent of the prison population, they comprise 46 percent of sexual assault victims. Part of the problem is that 41 percent of guards in female prisons are male. As the Human Rights Watch points out, “All sexual interaction between staff and inmates is inherently coercive because of the inherent disparity in power between staff and inmates.”
There’s Not Enough Toilet Paper
As we all know, women need more toilet paper than men, but they’re given the same amount because prisons operate on gender-neutral policies. This results in female inmates not having nearly enough toilet paper. Inmates in New York state prisons get five or six rolls each month, and more than two-thirds of female inmates surveyed by The Correctional Association of New York said they didn’t receive enough toilet paper. Just like with maxi pads, buying more isn’t an option for women with little resources.
Mothers Can’t Be With Their Kids
Whether they had children before or while incarcerated, women in prison can’t be with their kids. The majority of women in prison have children — 62 percent of state inmates and 56 percent of federal inmates, according to the Bureau of Justice. Being away from their children for years at a time can take an emotional toll on women, especially if they’re imprisoned across the country, making it harder for their kids to visit. http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/pptmc.pdf
Parents in Prison and Their Minor Children
State by State Prison-Related Resources
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50 State Incarceration Profiles-http://www.prisonpolicy.org/profiles/
These 50 state profiles, plus one for the United States as a whole, draw on graphs made from two Prison Policy Initiative briefings and other materials PPI has produced on those states.
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CA - Prison Law Office-http://prisonlaw.com/
A non-profit public interest law firm that litigates prison-related issues in California. They offer a variety of prisoner legal self-help materials on their site.
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CA - Friends Outside-http://www.friendsoutside.org/
Friends Outside is a advocacy and outreach organization committed to improving the quality of life of families, children and communities impacted by incarceration, and to assisting with successful community reentry and family reunification for those transitioning from confinement to freedom. Friends Outside provides direct services to prisoners and their families in the State of California, and conducts advocacy worldwide.
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The Arizona Justice Project-http://www.aacj.org/the-justice-project/
Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice operates the Arizona Justice Project, which will consider cases of wrongful conviction in Arizona ONLY.
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CT - Families in Crisis, Inc.-http://www.familiesincrisis.org/
Connecticut agency helping at-risk children, offenders and their families.
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GA - Georgia Justice Project-http://www.gjp.org/
The mission of the Georgia Justice Project is to eliminate injustices in the criminal justice system experienced by poor people and to provide them with resources to advance their human potential, proving that the cycle of poverty and crime can be broken.
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IL - CAARPR-http://naarpr.org/
Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression is part of a National Alliance founded to mount organized action against unjust treatment of individuals due to race or political beliefs. The Alliance can help publicize wrongful convictions, and advocate for prisoners by engaging in actions like calling and emailing IDOC staff when a prisoner does not receive the health care they need.
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IL - CLAIM-http://www.cgla.net/claim
CLAIM offers legal services on family law to incarcerated mothers, formerly incarcerated mothers and caregivers of children whose parents are incarcerated. We do not provide representation for criminal law cases. The case must be in Illinois. CLAIM regularly visits women at Cook County Jail, Decatur Correctional Center, Lincoln Correctional Center, Dwight Correctional Center, and the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago.
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NY - CURE-NY
New York State chapter of CURE
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OH - FADS (Families Against Disparate Sentences)-http://ohfads.tripod.com/index.htm
Family-of-prisoners oriented group focused on sentencing disparity in Ohio.
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OR - Children's Justice Alliance-http://www.pathfindersoforegon.com/programs/childrens-justice-alliance/
Serving children of incarcerated parents, as well as parents, families, and caregivers in Portland, Oregon.
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PA - Families Outside-http://fswp.org/services/trips-state-correctional-facilities
Families Outside is our program which provides trips to Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions for family members to visit their loved ones. Children and seniors are welcome.
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TX - Prison Justice League-http://prisonjusticeleague.org/
Prison Justice League is a litigation and advocacy organization seeking to improve conditions in Texas prisons.
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VA - Assisting Families of Inmates, Inc.-http://www.afoi.org/
Helps families preserve and strengthen positive relationships with relatives incarcerated in Virginia's state correctional centers.
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Legal Aid Society of NY - Prisoners' Rights Project-http://legal-aid.org/en/civil/civilpractice/prisonersrightsproject.aspx
The Prisoners' Rights Project advocates for constitutional and humane conditions of confinement for prisoners in the New York City and State correctional systems.
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Lewisburg Prison Project-http://www.lewisburgprisonproject.org/#
The Lewisburg Prison Project is a non-profit organization that provides legal and other assistance to prisoners in Central Pennsylvania. The LPP is dedicated to the principle that prisoners are persons with incontestable constitutional and human rights who deserve both justice and compassion.
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Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project
The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project provides free legal assistance in civil matters to low-income people who are incarcerated or institutionalized in the state of Pennsylvania.
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Prisoners' Legal Services of New York-http://plsny.org/
Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York is a private, not-for-profit corporation that provides civil legal assistance to indigent prisoners in New York state facilities. PLS has been operating since 1976.
Sentencing Issues (Mandatory Minimums, Three Strikes, etc.)
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Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM)-http://famm.org/
Families Against Mandatory Minimums is the premiere organization for information, advocacy and research on federal mandatory minimum sentences (plus info on state sentencing issues, too). FAMM publishes the FAMM-gram newsletter, a print publication.
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Families to Amend California's Three Strikes (FACTS)
Families to Amend California's Three Strikes is an organization specifically dedicated to amending California's "Three Strikes" law to ensure it is narrowly applied to violent offenders. This site is a good source for statistics, stories of petty crimes resulting in life sentences, etc.
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The Other Death Penalty Project-http://www.theotherdeathpenalty.org/
The Other Death Penalty Project is an organization devoted to raising awareness of and, eventually, abolishing the use of life with parole (LWOP) sentencing.
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NACDL's Proportionality Litigation Project-http://www.nacdl.org/excessivesentencing/?utm_source=Berman&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=esp
State profiles and related materials provide a detailed snapshot of existing proportionality doctrines and jurisprudence as of fall 2012. They are intended as a resource for practitioners in all phases of the criminal justice system, for sentencing and appellate courts, for policymakers and advocates concerned with the high economic and human costs of excessively long terms of imprisonment, and for defendants facing or serving extreme prison terms.
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The Sentencing Project / NASA-http://sentencingproject.org/template/index.cfm
Considered one of the best sources for research and information on sentencing policies, alternative sentencing, felon disenfranchisement and related issues. Affiliated with the National Association of Sentencing Advocates (NASA), a membership organization dedicated to the promotion of fair, humane and equitable sentencing.
Resources for Released / Soon to be Released Prisoners
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Federal Bonding Program-http://bonds4jobs.com/
Information page for the Federal Bonding Program, which provides free fidelity bonds to employers as an incentive to hire ex-prisoners.
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Restoration of Human Rights Project-http://www.nacdl.org/rightsrestoration/
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers offers a collection of individual downloadable documents that profile the law and practice in each U.S. jurisdiction relating to relief from the collateral consequences of conviction. 54 jurisdictional profiles include provisions on loss and restoration of civil rights and firearms privileges, legal mechanisms for overcoming or mitigating collateral consequences, and provisions addressing non-discrimination in employment and licensing.
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National Reentry Resource Center-http://csgjusticecenter.org/nrrc/
This site, maintained by the Dept. of Justice, profiles prisoner reentry grant programs and resources. A number of downloadable publications related to reentry and recidivism are also available.
All of Us or None
All of Us Or None is a national organizing initiative of prisoners, former prisoners and felons, to combat the many forms of discrimination that we face as the result of felony convictions.
(415) 255-7036
http://www.allofusornone.org/
1540 Market St.
Suite 490
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States of America
Ministries 101
Ministries 101 is charged with managing evidence-based in-prison residential communities designed to help men and women transition from prison to community through strategic partnerships combining pre-release re-entry programs with integrated post-release aftercare. Currently, M101 is the administrative/managing partner for community collaboratives working with offender populations in three Christ-centered, evidence-based dorms at the Dawson State Jail in Downtown Dallas. In conjunction with our community partners, M101 is committed to successfully prepare and transition our clients from the prison environment to the community.
Our philosophy is based on 5 _
P. O. Box 720118
Dallas, TX 75372
United States of America
972-816-9856
http://www.ministries101.org/
stek@me.com