Women Prisoners and Health Justice: Perspectives, Issues and Advocacy for an International Hidden Population

171 Pages·2018·4.79 MB·English

by  Dianne Hatton

Women Prisoners and Health Justice
This book is dedicated to women prisoners around the world.
Women Prisoners
and Health Justice
PERSPECTIVES, ISSUES AND ADVOCACY FOR
AN INTERNATIONAL HIDDEN POPULATION
Edited by
DIANE C HATTON
RN DNSc
Professor
School of Nursing
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA
and
ANASTASIA A FISHER
RN DNSc
Associate Professor
School of Nursing
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA
Foreword by
ANDREW COYLE
Professor of Prison Studies
School of Law
King’s College
University of London
Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
First published 2009 by Radcliffe Publishing
Published 2016 by CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
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© 2009 Diane C Hatton and Anastasia A Fisher
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
ISBN-13: 978-1-84619-242-5 (pbk)
Diane C Hatton and Anastasia A Fisher have asserted their right under the Copyright,
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Contents
Foreword vii
Preface x
About the Editors xviii
List of Contributors xix
1 The Ongoing Struggle for Ethical Ideals: Justice and Human Rights 1
Anne Davis
2 Social Capital: A Lens for Examining Health of Incarcerated
and Formerly Incarcerated Women 13
Virginia Olesen
3 Challenges Incarcerated Women Face as They Return to
Their Communities: Findings From Life History Interviews 23
Beth Richie
4 Women, Health and Prisons in Australia 45
Judy Parker, Debbie Kilroy and Jonathan Hirst
5 Incarceration of Women in Britain: A Matter of Madness 55
Paul Godin and Kathleen Kendall
6 The Importance of Gender in US Prisons 67
Nancy Stoller
7 Prisons Are Sickening: What Do We Do About It? 77
Karlene Faith
8 Achieving Sustainable Improvement in the Health of Women
in Prisons: The Approach of the WHO Health in Prisons Project 85
Alex Gatherer, Lars Møller and Paul Hayton
9 Standards for Prison Health Care: US and British Approaches 99
Nancy Stoller and Alex Gatherer
10 Ethics for Health Care Providers: Codes as Guidance
for Practice in Prisons 109
Janet Storch and Cindy Peternelj-Taylor
11 Advocacy 117
Donna Willmott
12 Teaching and Learning for Social Transformation 127
Judy Parker, Lisa Reynolds and Donna Willmott
13 Women Prisoners and Health Justice: Challenges and
Recommendations 137
Anastasia Fisher, Diane Hatton and Jane Dorotik
Index 142
Foreword
The proportion of women in prison systems throughout the world varies bet-
ween 2% and 9%, with only 12 jurisdictions having a higher proportion.1 These
fi gures do not mean that the total number of women in prison is small. Indeed,
in many jurisdictions recent increases in the number of women in prison has
exceeded the increase in male prisoners. It is estimated that there are over half
a million women and children in prison, either sentenced or awaiting trial. Of
these, one-third is in the US.
One consequence of the proportional imbalance of the sexes is that prisons
and prison systems tend to be organized to meet the needs and requirements of
male prisoners. This applies to architecture, to security and to all other facilities.
There is a recurring tendency that any special provision for women prisoners will
be something that is added on to the standard provision for men. This is despite
the fact that the profi le of women prisoners is very different from that of male
prisoners, and particular attention should be given to their special needs.
Most women will have been imprisoned for non-violent property offenses.
If their crime has been a violent one, the victim is likely to have been someone
close to them. Many women prisoners will have suffered frequent physical or
sexual abuse. They will often have a variety of untreated health problems. In
addition, the consequences of imprisonment and its effect on their lives may
be very different for women. A large number will be single parents, often with
dependent children. When a man is sent to prison, his partner may well do all
in her power to keep the family together. When a woman goes to prison, there
is less likelihood that her partner will manage to do the same.
In a number of countries tough anti-drug legislation has had a signifi cant
effect on the numbers of women in prison. Another feature of this and similar
changes has been an increase in the proportion of foreign national prisoners
who now form a large percentage of women prisoners in some countries. All of
these factors mean that prison authorities need to pay special attention to the
way women prisoners are treated and the facilities that are provided for them.
vii
viii FOREWORD
This is especially so in terms of their health needs.
The health profi le of prisoners as a whole is poor. This is not surprising, given
the fact that in most jurisdictions prisoners are drawn largely from marginal-
ized groups. Many will have untreated health conditions. A high proportion of
them will be addicted to one or more drugs of abuse, with the added possibility
that they may suffer from infectious hepatitis, tuberculosis or HIV. The incid-
ence of mental health problems among prisoners is very high. If that is their
condition when they enter prison, the environment in which they then live is
likely to exacerbate their problems. In many instances living conditions may be
badly overcrowded, sanitary arrangements may be poor, diet will be inadequate,
there will be limited access to fresh air and exercise, and health provision will
be unsatisfactory. For women in prison, many of these problems will be writ
even larger.
This book, edited by Diane Hatton and Anastasia Fisher, fi lls a major gap in
the literature on two counts: it is about women prisoners, and it is about their
entitlement to proper health care. The editors have gathered a knowledgeable and
experienced group of experts from around the world to contribute chapters on key
issues on this topic. This volume is likely to become a classic reference text.
This book should be read by all those who are in any way involved in the
imprisonment of women. But it is not only a book for practitioners, academics
and prison policy makers. It also needs to be read by those involved in the world
of health policy and health delivery and its lessons taken on board by them.
The women who are described in this volume are a problematic group. Their
health problems are complex and often not easily resolved. They may not always
be grateful for help when it is offered. It is too easy for health professionals to
ignore their problems, to put them into a category marked “too diffi cult.” All
health professionals should bear in mind the Oath of Athens passed in 1979 by
the International Council of Prison Medical Services which pledged “in keeping
with the spirit of the Oath of Hippocrates . . . we shall endeavor to provide the
best possible health care for those who are incarcerated in prisons for whatever
reasons, without prejudice and within our respective professional ethics. We
recognize the right of the incarcerated individuals to receive the best possible
health care.”2
That commitment applies particularly to women who are in prison. This
book serves to reinforce that pledge.
Andrew Coyle
Professor of Prison Studies
School of Law
King’s College
University of London
June 2009
FOREWORD ix
REFERENCES
1 Walmsley R. World Female Imprisonment List. London: International Centre for Prison
Studies; 2006.
2 Coyle A. A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management. London: International Centre
for Prison Studies; 2002. p. 57. Available at: www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/law/research/icps/
downloads/human_rights_prison_management.pdf (accessed February 28, 2009).