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Women of Minority in Prison |
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Women from non-english speaking Backgrounds in Prison
Imprisonment is an isolating, dislocating and frightening experience for any prisoner. For those from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds (NESB) these experiences can be intensified.
Many prisoners from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds have to contend with a racist culture both within and outside the prison, as well as the active discrimination from courts, police and correctional institutions. Despite the prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, gender, marital status, physical disability, religion, political affiliation or national origin in Office of Corrections operational principles, NESB prisoners frequently experience discrimination whilst in prison.
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Beyond Bars - Inquiry Into Treatment of Women |
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Submission to the Anti Discrimination Commissioner for an Inquiry into the Discrimination Experienced by Women Prisoners within the Criminal Justice System in New South Wales
Written and Submitted by:
Members of the Beyond Bars Alliance NSW
Kat Armstrong, Vicki Chartrand & Dr. Eileen Baldry
May 2005
The Purpose of this Submission
On 20th July 2004, the Beyond Bars Alliance wrote to the Commissioner of the Department of Corrective Services (DCS) NSW, the Attorney General of NSW, the Commissioner of Police of NSW, and to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board (see Appendix I) seeking an inquiry into the treatment of women prisoners in NSW.
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Women in Prison - Summary |
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Prison is not an isolated institution, it is part of a continuum in the control of women, whether by our lack of access to economic independence, violence, racism or specific laws that target women such as prostitution and social security. The society that condemns the behaviour of women it imprisons, yet accepts the treatment prisoners are given inside is at best hypocritical, but perhaps more correctly, sadistic. Amanda George, 1993
The prison system takes people from their families and communities, crams them into an overcrowded and oppressive environment, subjects them to isolation, violence, torture, guard brutality, organized white supremacy, and a life of boredom and useless toil, then releases them with little to no support to face poverty, post-trauma stress, and ongoing persecution from the law.
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Introduction - Women in Prison |
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Imprisonment rates for women have increased dramatically over the past few years. Justice Action believes that subjecting women to the mercy of the correctional system is not the best way to combat female crime. Instead, we need to address the root causes behind why women are committing specific offences.
Most women who are put in prison pose no real threat to society at all. Statistics show:
- 70% of women prisoners have mental health problems.
- 37% have attempted suicide.
- 20% have been in the care system as children compared to 2% of the general population.
- At least 50% report being victims of childhood abuse or domestic violence.
Prison is often a very expensive way of making bad situations worse.
- Nearly 40% of women prisoners lose their homes as a result of imprisonment.
- 65% re-offend on release.
- The most common offences for which women are sent to prison are theft and handling stolen goods.
Source: Women in Prison, http://www.womeninprison.org.uk/
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Jail at Windsor |
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Stop the Womens Jail is working to ensure that the proposed womens jail at Windsor is not constructed. We are determined to see that the unanimous recommendations of the multi-party Select Committee on the Increase in Prisoner Population are implemented.
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