UNIT C: Blog 15

BLOG 15: Women Prisons

Across history prisons have a reputation of treating women very different than than treated the males. In the beginning of prisons when they first opened up men and women were all put into the same prisons. In these prisons women were a minority compared to the number of men. The way that they looked at women who were in prison was very different than they looked at men. For a women to be in prison, if she would have committed a crime, she must be more horrible than her male counterpart because she has gone past all of the female moral standards and traits. They thought that if a woman committed a crime she was much or insane and deranged than a man that committed the same crime (ch 2).

At this time women were no seen as free. Women did not have rights, did not have full citizenship and equal rights under the law. Women in prison were not paid attention to, thought were an annoyance, were more trouble than males, and were treated worse. Women were cramped in small attics, were not let outside for work or exercise. Until 1832 they had no supervision,there were account of abuse, accounts of pregnancy by inmates and guards. Women were ignored. Nineteenth century prisons women were called "nuisances." They said that "one female prisoner was like 20 male prisoners." Women in men's prisons were a problem because they thought they would create heterosexual disturbances. Women were help responsible for issues, scandals, and problems in the prison CH. 2)

After these issues the same stated to create female prisons which were attached to males prison's at times. By this time prisons started to create a more rehabilitation goal in mind. There were institution created that were used as rehabilitation centered run by matrons, female guards, that would rehabilitate not punish. Women were treated better, equal and held to the same standards. These new facilities were being hiring women because they though women could best be reformed by their own sex (Ch. 2).

The history of Arizona's prison can be seen some what like the reading. The prison was built in Yuma and like the prisons in the book it held men and women of all race, nationality, and ethnicity. Media also shaped the Yuma prison by saying no prisoner every escaped painting a picture of what it was like. Like in the reading from chapter 2 these movies painted the wrong picture because prisoners did in fact escape. Also like the reading prisoners at Florence helped and were contracted out to help build the prison and roads surrounding.