Women In Detention Research Articles

Advancing Public Health Equity through Expanded Vaccination Services in prison: case studies from Italy and France

Abstract In Montpellier prison in France and San Vittore remand house in Italy, the provision of expanded, age-appropriate, coercion-free, and tailored vaccination services to PLP has emerged as a cornerstone in improving health outcomes within prison settings. The implementation of life course vaccination programs required the full integration of prison health into public health systems building on existing vaccination services covering HBV, flu and COVID-19. In San Vittore, a vaccination clinic aimed at people living in prison was set-up. Universal vaccination status assessment and vaccination catch-up was introduced targeting people admitted into prison. The vaccination clinic-related activities included information and awareness sessions on vaccination and health literacy offered regularly to PLP: increased vaccination knowledge is effective to enhance uptake. The vaccination clinic team consisted of infectious diseases physicians and a health assistant with an anthropological background, who ran the information and awareness sessions combining and adapting core content on vaccination with individual and community social and cultural contexts. Besides seasonal flu vaccination and anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunisation campaigns, vaccinations against pneumococcal pneumonia and herpes zoster were also offered to older and fragile individuals as per national immunization plan. One of the priority objectives of the vaccination clinic was the increase in vaccination coverage against HBV and HPV, not only as a tool for the prevention of infectious diseases, but as an innovative and effective tool of cancer prevention. As part of a more ambitious program to protect sexual health in prison and related to updated screening tools for the early diagnosis of lesions due to HPV infection, vaccination against HPV was also offered as part of a health empowerment project tailored to women in detention, with the aim of building self-awareness of their own health needs.

Association between attachment dimensions and empathy with future orientation and resilience in a sample of women in detention: a multicenter study

Association between attachment dimensions and empathy with future orientation and resilience in a sample of women in detention: a multicenter study

Gender-based approach to the detention of women

Women represent a particularly vulnerable group within the criminal enforcement system. The necessities of women in detention differ from the needs of men, which determined a gender-based approach, which manifests in the adaptation of material conditions, rules from the place of detention, re-socialization programs to the specific needs of women. The gender-based approach is implicit at all stages of deprivation of liberty, starting with detention or arrest, allocation, execution of punishment of deprivation of liberty, participation in programs of re-socialization, professional, vocational training, medical, psychological assistance, contacts with family, granting the right to short and long meetings, leisure time and the application of disciplinary sanctions. In this study, we examined the importance of the gender-based approach, its regulation within the framework of universal, regional, and national standards, specific rules introduced in places of detention for women, and their practical implementation in Prison 7 Ruska.

Women in acute forensic psychiatric care: comparison of clinical, sociodemographic, and detention-related characteristics in pretrial detention, sentence execution, and court-ordered treatment

Compared to men inmates, women display decreased prevalence of severe mental disorder but increased occurrence of substance use disorders (SUD) and higher rates of previous contacts with mental health services. The group of women in detention is highly heterogeneous according to the status of incarceration (pre-trial detention (PTD), sentence execution (SE) and court ordered treatments (COT)). Studies focusing on the comparison of sociodemographic patterns, detention-related and clinical variables between these groups are still lacking. We explored these parameters in 136 women admitted for acute psychiatric care in the sole Geneva forensic unit during a nine year period (2014–2023). Sociodemographic and detention-related data included age, nationality, marital status, presence of children, education attainment, most frequently speaking language, social support, employment before conviction and type of offenses. Clinical variables included the main ICD-10 diagnosis, presence of concomitant SUD, type of personality disorders, presence of suicidal thoughts and attempts at admission, as well as number and mean duration of stays. PTD and SE women had at least 9 years of formal education in 38.9% and 30.3% of cases. Most women in PTD (77.7%), SE (56.6%) and COT (56.2%) groups were Swiss or European citizens. The level of French knowledge was excellent in most of the cases. 43.8% of COT women had at least one child and this percentage is even higher for PTD and SE cases. The employment rate before conviction was also quite high, mainly for PTD and SE (61.1% and 60.6%) and, in a lesser degree, for COT (43.8%) women. Significant social support was present in the vast majority of women without any significant group difference. The distribution of type of offenses did not differ between the three types of detention with a predominance of physical violence, and drug trafficking. The number of stays during the period of reference was significantly higher in COT compared to both SE and PTD women. History of previous inpatient care was also significantly more frequent in COT that SE and PTD women. Adjustment and affective disorders were more often found in SE and PTD cases, these diagnoses were absent in the COT group. In contrast, a main diagnosis of psychotic disorders was found in 62.5% of COT cases compared to only 21.2% in SE and 24.1% in PTD cases. The number of stays, history of inpatient care and diagnosis of psychosis were independent predictors of COT status. In conclusion, the present data reveal the good social integration and emotional support of women needing acute psychiatric care in prison independently of the type of detention. Clinically, women in PTD and SE display more often emotional distress whereas those in COT suffer from acute psychotic symptoms with previous history of psychiatric care and multiple inpatient stays.

Gender-based approach regarding the detention of women

Women represent a particularly vulnerable group within the criminal enforcement system. The necessities of women in detention differ from the needs of men, which determined a gender-based approach, which manifests in the adaptation of material conditions, rules from the place of detention, re-socialization programs to the specific needs of women. The gender-based approach is implicit at all stages of deprivation of liberty, starting with detention or arrest, allocation, execution of punishment of deprivation of liberty, participation in programs of re-socialization, professional, vocational training, medical, psychological assistance, contacts with family, granting the right to short and long meetings, leisure time and the application of disciplinary sanctions. In this study, we examined the importance of the gender-based approach, its regulation within the framework of universal, regional, and national standards, specific rules introduced in places of detention for women, and their practical implementation in Prison 7 Ruska.

‘Women’s right to health in detention’: United Nations Committee Observations since the adoption of the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (Bangkok Rules)

Abstract Approximately 11.7 million people are detained globally, with an observed rise in the female prison population in recent years. A range of human rights treaties, and non-binding minimum standards of care (2016 Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Mandela Rules), 2010 Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules)) protect the rights of prisoners. States however have discretion in defining humane treatment and adequate medical care in detention settings. In this Review Essay, we focus on the right to health of detained women based on an environment conducive to adequate health, and access to gender-responsive, non-discriminatory healthcare in detention equivalent to that in the community. We scrutinized all United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and Committee against Torture Concluding Observations published since 2010, and provide a global illustration of violations of women’s health rights in detention settings to date. We document the inadequate accommodation and standards of detention of women, and inadequate access to healthcare services while detained, particularly relating to HIV and reproductive health, and mental health and drug dependence treatment in some countries. Human rights violations identified in the Concluding Observations reflect 39 countries and are presented as: the United Nations Committee description of their concern pertaining to a country’s treatment of women in detention; and collectively in terms of the particular Bangkok Rule (5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14–16, 34, 35, 48 and 51). Our investigation raises general questions around the continued lack of resourcing of female detention settings and gender-responsive healthcare programming, the lack of data and advocacy on behalf of detained women, and the lack of routine scrutiny of the unique health rights assurances of women within independent monitoring and inspection in detention settings all over the world.

Women Prison Inmates &Their Children at Bachha Barrack During Pandemic Covid 19

In view of the successive directions issued by the Supreme Court (SC) in the recent landmark case of “Re inhuman conditions in 1382 Prison” court has identified emerging trend of increasing number, vulnerable condition of women prison inmates and their children in prisons across India. “An estimated number of 1,320 children are living with the mother women prison inmates including under trials, convicts. “The number of women inmates in Indian prisons increased upto 11.3%, in a span of few years from 2011 to 2015, Roughly 1,817 children are found living in prisons with their mothers as on the year 2014 across different prison in the country”. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Empowerment of Women (submitted its report on ‘Women in Detention and Access to Justice’ 2017 reiterated the issues concerning women inmates and their children. In keeping with these, certain landmark legal, regulatory, judicial directives exist to safeguard the interest of women inmates and their children. However in Pandemic Covid 19, the condition of bachha barrack remains extremely vulnerable children of women inmates. Due to overcrowding, the covid 19 pandemic makes it difficult for covid safety protocols to be followed. The existing condition of diet, medicines, education of children remains suspended during pandemic Covid 19.

Motherhood in Alternative Detention Conditions: A Preliminary Case-Control Study.

Many women in detention are mothers and often the sole caregivers of their children. Italy, as most European countries, allows mothers to keep their children with them in detention, with the aim of preserving the fundamental bond between mother and child. Since prison does not seem to provide a good environment for the child’s growth, there are different alternative residential solutions, such as Group Homes. The aim of this preliminary study was to explore the differences between mothers living in detention through alternative measures with their children and mothers who are not detained regarding parenting stress, child behavior from the parent’s perspective, and maternal attachment. Twelve mothers were enrolled in this study, divided equally between the detained and the control groups. Both groups’ participants completed a three-questionnaire battery in order to assess parenting stress, child’s behavior, and maternal attachment. The analyses of variance showed significant differences between the two groups, with the detained group reporting higher scores than the control group in almost all the subscales of parenting stress. The results highlighted that imprisoned mothers might experience more stress than the general population. There is a need to design intervention programs to support parenting in detention.

A Qualitative Study on Young Women's Lives Prior to and Four Years after Youth Detention: Examining the Good Lives Model's Aetiological Assumptions.

Detained female adolescents constitute a vulnerable, challenging, and understudied minority. Interventions for DFA are still dominated by risk management approaches with less focus on strength-based approaches such as the Good Lives Model (GLM). This study explored the functionality of DFA’s behaviour prior to and four years after release from detention, using the GLM as the guiding theoretical framework. A theory-driven thematic analysis was conducted of 30 in-depth interviews with former DFA (Mage = 20.80), exploring the fulfilment of their basic human needs (e.g., relatedness, independence) before and after detention. Before detention, the young women experienced multiple problems trying to fulfil multiple human needs, often contributing to poor balance in their lives and their antisocial behaviour. Although external and internal obstacles to fulfilling human needs were still present at follow-up, important improvements were noted, e.g., in the scope of their human needs and the resources available to fulfil their needs. The findings provide additional insights into the issues experienced by young women in detention and indicate there are opportunities to assist these young women, through the development of appropriate resources and capacities which provide them with appropriate means for fulfilling their needs and moving towards a personally meaningful and prosocial life.

Self-Perceived Impact of Oral Health on the Quality of Life of Women Deprived of Their Liberty

Background Prison units are marked by structural deficiencies, especially in relation to the female gender. Objectives To measure the self-perceived impact of oral health on the quality of life of Brazilian women in detention. Methodology. A survey was carried out conducted in the penitentiary at Juiz de Fora (Minas Gerais, Brazil) using an instrument with semistructured questions and validated scales, including the Oral Health Impact Profile-14. 99 women were interviewed. The analysis was based on a theoretical model of determination, with hierarchical blocks of variables. Bivariate analysis was done using the Mann–Whitney, test and multivariate analysis was used using linear regression. The significance level was set at 5%. Results 33% experienced tooth loss after incarceration, (3.70 ± 3.26 lost teeth). 65.6% rated the dental service as fair/poor. The highest prevalence of oral health impact was for the domains of psychological discomfort (50.5%) and physical pain (40.4%). There is a negative impact on psychological discomfort: the number of dental consultations in the past year and self-perceived general health. There is an impact on physical pain: self-declared color and anxiety. Self-perceived general health had an impact on the domains of psychological disability and social disadvantage. Depression had an impact on the total score. Conclusion This study revealed a self-perceived impact of oral health on the quality of life of women inmates. We need to ensure high-quality access to dental treatment in prisons.

Inside Out: Change Through Art.

Background: Over the past three decades, there has been a 900% increase in the number of women experiencing incarceration in Minnesota. We wished to test whether handwriting, as creative visual art expression for women in jail, would be a positive experience for them as well as for individuals viewing the artwork during expositions.Methods: Over a 2-year period, the principal artist invited women residents from four separate county jails in Minnesota, to handwrite their thoughts on a sheet of paper. Two hundred twenty-three women residents participated in the artist-led handwriting/visual art sessions and gave permission to use their authentic script, anonymously, for presentation in a 3-D visual art form. At the conclusion of the sessions, a survey was offered at each venue, which asked three questions relative to the participation in the handwriting art project: (1) Did it have a positive impact on me? (2) Would you recommend it to other women who are incarcerated? (3) Do you want to participate in more projects such as this during your incarceration? The resulting artwork of more than 1,000 sculptures, each exhibiting a portion of the women's original script, was displayed at several public showings and a survey was offered at each venue, which asked: (1) Did the exhibition increase awareness of mass incarceration of women? (2) Did it help the viewer see women who are incarcerated? (3) Did it make the viewer realize that action is needed to reduce incarceration of women? Survey questions were graded from 1 to 5, with a sliding scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree.Results: The impact of this project of art activism has been very positive on both participants and the larger audience. The vast majority of women residents responding to the survey either agreed or strongly agreed that their participation in the project (1) had a positive effect on them (94%), (2) would recommend it to other incarcerated women (94%), and (3) would want to participate in more projects such as this (93%). A total of 425 surveys were collected among the audience at several sites: the law school (N = 87), open studios (N = 268), and a public library (N = 62). The vast majority of individuals responding to the survey either agreed or strongly agreed that the exhibited work (1) increased awareness of the problem (93%), (2) showed the humanity behind the script (88%), and (3) suggested that interventions were needed to address the problem (86%).Conclusions: Women under incarceration in county jails, who participated in a visual art handwriting program, as part of a collaborative visual art project led by principal artist, found great value in the sessions and agreed that such programs should be available to other women in detention. The overwhelming majority of the audience of the resulting exhibitions in public venues strongly agreed that interventions are needed to address the mass incarceration of women in Minnesota, suggesting the importance of art as a vehicle for increasing awareness about social problems and perhaps social change.

The health of women and girls released from prison - findings from Australia and internationally

Abstract Women and girls involved in the criminal justice system experience a higher burden of morbidity than their justice-involved male counterparts and women in the general population. In addition, women with a history of incarceration are more likely than men with a history of incarceration to be exposed to poor social and health circumstances. While both justice-involved men and women have an increased risk of death compared to their counterparts in the general population, justice-involved women experience a greater elevation in risk. Understanding and addressing the health and social needs of women leaving prison is critically important to address high rates of preventable mortality, and to design appropriate gender-sensitive transitional support. This presentation will first briefly summarise the findings of a scoping review which reported on the health status of girls and young women in detention, published in the Lancet Public Health earlier this year. It will then summarise findings from a global systematic review and meta-analysis on the health of women involved in the criminal justice system, describing what is known about their physical health, mental health and health service use. Finally, this presentation will describe results from a novel prospective cohort study from Australia on differences between women and men in patterns, characteristics and predictors of ambulance and emergency department presentations, describing the implications of these findings in the context of a growing need for evidence-based and gender-sensitive transitional support planning.

The Gendered Impacts of Drug Policy on Women: Case Studies from Mexico

This paper looks at women involved in drug offences and women who use drugs, from the perspective of the intersection of three axes: i) gender relationships and gender systems, ii) development, and iii) drug policy. Its purpose is to analyse the impacts of drug policy on women from a gender perspective, with a focus on two groups of ‘women in detention’: incarcerated women and women in residential treatment centres. The paper argues that current drug policies are part and parcel of patriarchal structures that underlie violence against women and children and undermine gender equality and development. The international framework of drug control generates, via prohibition, illicit drug markets and drug trafficking organisations, which mirror hegemonic gender systems and treat women and children as disposable objects, maintaining sexist structures that lead to the exploitation of women’s labour by their male partners, patriarchal relations with regard to illicit waged labour, and patriarchal violence and culture. The other direct results of the implementation of international drug policy are the use of incarceration as a means of deterrence and the growing number of women in prison for drug offences. Also in the case of women who use drugs, current drug policies contribute, with practical and discursive elements, to the reproduction and justification of violence against women and girls. The two groups of women in detention analysed in this chapter, instead of being accompanied by communities, families and state institutions that address and attempt to repair the suffering and the crimes committed against them, are further isolated through institutionalisation in legal or illegal sites, in which violence against women is further reproduced and development is hindered.

The experiences of pregnant migrant women in detention: A qualitative study

Background Pregnant migrant women held in detention centres in the UK can be particularly vulnerable. They may have poor physical and mental health, which is exacerbated by their incarceration, and are at a disproportionally increased risk of maternal and perinatal mortality. Unpublished studies have found that pregnant migrant women have poor experiences in detention. Aim To explore pregnant migrant women's experiences of living in detention. Method Four migrant women who had been held in detention while pregnant and two volunteer health professionals were interviewed. Findings Results suggest that migrant women have very poor experiences in detention. Four key themes emerged: ‘challenges to accessing UK healthcare’, ‘exacerbation of mental health conditions, ‘feeling hungry’ and ‘lack of privacy’. Conclusion These findings could be used to review maternity care in detention and ensure that detention staff understand the experiences of detained pregnant women so that the needs of this vulnerable group can be met.

The right to privacy for women in detention: Contestations of power in South Africa's penal systems

abstractLimitations on the right to privacy for women in detention must be consistent with conditions of human dignity, specifically in relation to women's health and reproductive capacity. Although departures from the norm are important in this context, this article aims to challenge contemporary conceptualisations of women's privacy rights to advance a deeper appreciation of the connection between privacy and human dignity. Hence, this article begins by tracing the jurisprudential history of the right to privacy in South Africa and critiquing its gendered implications within the prisoner rights discourse, specifically in relation to feminine modesty. It then moves on to explore power dynamics in South Africa's penal systems, specifically in relation to the sexualisation and racialisation of power, to shed light on the limitations of framing women's privacy rights in terms of their reproductive capacities and physical vulnerabilities. To illuminate the significance of this right for women in prison, the third section of the article advocates for privacy to be perceived as an instrument of human dignity. It concludes by motivating for a dignity-based approach and application of the right to privacy for women in detention.1

Women in detention in Africa: A review of the literature

abstractWomen in prison in Africa experience compounded discrimination due to gender and poverty. Structural inequality results in women being poorly educated, having reduced access to economic resources and legal processes. Women often remain in pre-trial detention since they are unable to afford bail or fines. A significant number of women in prison are mothers and often, the sole or primary caregiver of children prior to detention. The true impact of female detention is felt by children who are imprisoned with their mothers, or who remain alone on the outside. In addition to the profound social and economic impact on families, women in prison are affected by a number of gender-related issues, including reproductive health needs, mental health disorders connected to prior experiences of violence, abuse and substance abuse, and heightened vulnerability to sexual abuse and harassment in detention. The literature review looks at the reasons for female imprisonment in a number of African countries, and explores the unique needs of women in detention, against the backdrop of the international detention framework, and particularly, the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-Custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules).

Sex, violence and HIV on the inside: cultures of violence, denial, gender inequality and homophobia negatively influence the health outcomes of those in closed settings

To map the context of HIV in closed settings in Papua New Guinea (PNG), semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 56 prisoners and detainees and 60 key stakeholders. The nature of HIV-related risk differs for detained women and men, and reflects important gender-based issues present in PNG society more broadly. Women in detention are vulnerable to sexual violence and exploitation and at greatest risk of HIV while detained in police holding cells, where they are typically supervised by male officers, in contrast to prisons, where they have little contact with male staff. HIV risk for men in prison is associated with consensual and non-consensual sex; this risk is perpetuated by a pervasive culture of denial and institutionalised homophobia. The illegal nature of sodomy and male-to-male sex provides Correctional Services the legal grounds by which to refuse access to condoms for prisoners. Addressing HIV risk among detained men and women in PNG requires the reform of legislation, police and prison practices and an understanding of broader structural problems of gender-based violence and stigma and discrimination.

Health Education: Strategy for Sexual and Reproductive Care for Women in Custody

Abstract The National Plan of Health in the Brazilian Prison System has as the main purpose to contribute to the control and/or reduction of the more often aggravations to the health of the prison population, by means of several strategic actions, among these, actions that target the sexual and reproductive health quality. In this perspective, the nurse, a productive professional of care in all the life circumstances, must act in this care area, respecting, in this way, the life, the dignity and the woman rights in detention. According to it was declared, this study aimed to perform educative actions giving focus on the prevention of Transmitted Sexual Diseases (STD)/Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the safe sexual practices, the family planning, the domestic violence and uterine and breast cancer prevention. The educative actions were developed in the Female Penal Colony: Recife, Pernambuco – Brazil. The achieve of the proposal target provided opportunity to the women in detention, to understand how to have the sexual and reproductive health, giving to them autonomy to a healthy life, based on the rights stated in the Brazilian Laws.

Women and the Criminalization of Poverty: Perspectives from Sierra Leone

The year 2012 marked ten years since the end of Sierra Leone’s brutal eleven-year civil war, which had and continues to have a significant impact on girls and women. Sierra Leone reflects the global trend, with women representing a minority of the prison population. With so many competing needs, Sierra Leone often places penal reform low on the priority list of postwar reconstruction efforts. Women in conflict with the law are often seen as perpetrators and thus as less deserving of the limited assistance efforts available than “victims,” such as women who have suffered gender-based violence. The nature of imprisonment, lack of empowerment, and social stigma make female prisoners and former prisoners nearly invisible, resulting in neglect of their experiences and voices. Building on six years of work with girls and women in conflict with the law, this article seeks to examine the factors behind the growing rates of incarceration of women in Sierra Leone. It explores how marginalization, low socioeconomic status, gender disparities in many areas of social and political life, and weak state institutions result in the law having a particular negative effect on women. The difficult experiences of women in detention and the continuing challenges of reintegration can cause further victimization and have detrimental effects on children. International and domestic gender reform efforts need to incorporate and support this neglected population as part of wider gender justice efforts.

Health and human rights of women imprisoned in Zambia

BackgroundThe healthcare needs and general experience of women in detention in sub-Saharan Africa are rarely studied and poorly understood.MethodsA mixed-methods study was conducted including in-depth interviews with 38 adult female prisoners and 21 prison officers in four Zambian prisons to assess the health and human rights concerns of female detainees. Key informant interviews with 46 officials from government and non-governmental organizations and a legal and policy review were also conducted.ResultsDespite special protection under international and regional law, incarcerated women's health needs–including prenatal care, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and nutritional support during pregnancy and breastfeeding–are not being adequately met in Zambian prisons. Women are underserved by general healthcare programs including those offering tuberculosis and HIV testing, and reported physical and sexual abuse conducted by police and prison officers that could amount to torture under international law.ConclusionsThere is an urgent need for women's healthcare services to be expanded, and for general prison health campaigns, including HIV and tuberculosis testing and treatment, to ensure the inclusion of female inmates. Abuses against women in Zambian police and prison custody, which violate their rights and compromise their health, must be halted immediately.