In the article, "Women's Prisons -A Global State of Crisis" Anzia(2008)suggests that women's prisons all around the world are not in proper order."The strategy used in women’s prisons now is one of humiliation rather than rehabilitation," said Jane Evelyn Atwood in her 2007 Amnesty International video documentary.Women in prisons all over the globe are being subjected to "Conditions of improper touching by persons of authority, sanctioned sexual harassment, unnecessary strip searches, lack of proper medical attention or proper food exists in numerous global prison locations" In addition to this, "psychological coercion and/or threats of sexual assault by persons in authority create a constant, unending and intense universal pressure on many incarcerated women".Many American don't even realize what goes on in other parts of the world, let alone the state of women imprisoned in other countries.
In prisons in Afghanistan, women have been put into jail for violating moral norms.According to the article, on the Independent World website the two most common accusations for women in Afghanistan are "escaping from home" & "illegal sexual relations". With the first having a sentence of 10 years, and the sexual relations sentence at 20 years. Even though 2/3 of the women in the prisons are convicted of illegal sexual relations they are actually in prison for being rape victims. The article notes how, "The system does not distinguish between those who have been attacked and those who have chosen to run off with a man". When I read the article I thought of how even though the criminal justice system in America is not running like it was intended to,we still have rights that are granted to us. However the women in Afghanistan have basically no rights. They have to wear burkas and cover themselves. They basically cannot do anything unless their husbands or athers allow them to.If a woman is raped, beside the shame of being raped she has to be ridicled by her government.One of the women Zirdana was shown with a wound most likely infected with flies on it. just reading the description of the image gave me chills, which made me think how can people be so cruel? The article ended with one of the prisoners named Dorma pleading, "Please, please take our words somewhere where people will be kind and help us." This treatment is inhumane is no one should every receive this type cruel and unusual punishment ,unless they are pedophiles who rape and abuse children,rapists, and cold hearted killers who kill people because they like the satisfaction in doing so.
There are three prisons that house female inmates in Iraq.At the Kadhmiya prison in Bagdad, a grandmother is imprisoned with her 8 month old granddaughter. The woman's daughter was killed by be hanged at a lamppost.And the rest of her grandaughter's family are slain. So because the girl was a orphan, she is staying with her grandmother because there is no one to care for her. A complaint at the prison is, "No legal representation, unfair trials".
On the otherhand, we also see countries that are trying to make improvements for their incarcerated women. Taking for example the Siberian region of Russia.In Russia prisons for women, there are beauty pageants that the women can participate in. BBC reported on Beauty pageants in Russia's women's prisons.At UF 91/9 an all women's correctoinal facilitiy 20 miles away from the capital, Novosibirsk. "We wanted to find ways to occupy convicts' free time," says Natalya Baulina, the prison's administrative head. The pageant first started in 1990. It has been quite the news, that even local news stations broadcast the pageant.According to the BBC,When the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, the economy collapsed almost overnight and many unemployed women turned to crime. There are 35 womens prisons in Russia.Former inmate Natasha Patalakhova, 29, who served eight years for armed assault, directed the pageant when she was in prison and her involvement helped her secure an early release.What I found interesting about the article was that corrections officials in Siberia region of Russia were doing something productive with the inmates, I also researched the topic and found that Mexico also has women's beauty pageants held for the inmates.
Despite Thailand's bad rept for their state of corrections, especially with the tretament of women prisoners, I have read of the good deeds being doneon behalf of Thailand's Princess."Kamlangjai" means inspire in Thai, and it is also the name of a foundation for Thailand's female inmates.The princess of Thailand,Princess Bajrakitiyabha initated thisproject. This funding for the project getsresources from the government and private sources, and it generates publiunderstanding and much-needed acceptance for offenders.According to the article, Princess Bajrakitiyabha,noted how, "The quality of justice has nothing to do with arresting and throwing them into a cell. It has everything to do with making them better people, as everyone must eventually come back to society". This specific project help Thailand's female inmates by offering counseling,"as well as special health, pregnancy and child care normally unavailable in prison".In addition there are various vocational, and employment programs which provide these women with the skills they can use to find work once released.
From the cruel and inhumane conditions affecting women prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistand I can see hope for women inmates in areas like Thialand and Siberia.Even though there are women around the world who commit crimes and need to be punished, there are also women imprisoned for unjust reasons. I hope that issues like these can be looked into and help the women who are going through unjust treatment.
SOURCES:
www.youtube.com
"The Afghan Women Jailed for Being Victims if Rape" August 2008, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-afghan-women-jailed-for-being-victims-of-rape-900658.html
Anzia, Lys, "Women's Prisons- A Global State of Crisis" Sept. 2008, Womens News Network
Maria Yatskova March 11, 2008 "Siberian women's beauty pageant" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/this_world/7281761.stm
Hill, Gary, "Thai Princess Comes to the Aid Of Female Inmates" Corrections Compendium, 2009. Vol. 34, Iss. 2, p. 32-33
Damon,Arwa, "Gloom , Despair on Display at Iraqi Women’s Prison" May 2007 http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/10/damon.iraqprison/index.html
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