Assigment .Apa seven . All instructions attached.

Doe 1

Jane Doe

Professor Jean

ENC 1102

9 July 2020

Mass incarceration: The detrimental Impacts on Imprisoned Women

When it comes to discussing the corruption in the American justice system the only thing

that society tends to focus on is the mass imprisonment of men. People go around demanding for

reformation in the prison system for male incarceration, all the while completely disregarding the

prevailing injustice being inflicted on imprisoned women. The common misconception that has

been deeply rooted in society is that women have it easy therefore they don't receive treatment as

harsh or vigorous as men. When in reality, female offenders are the ones being subject to a larger

amount of immorality and exploitation while behind bars. Throughout history and even now a

vast majority of the practices found in the American prison system are structured around gender

disparities that showcase the bias towards male offenders.“The rising rate of female incarceration

has been correlated with major changes in policy that produced a largely gender-neutral

approach to criminal punishment. This ‘gender-neutral’ approach does not, however, treat

women and men equally, but rather treats women as if they were men” (DeCourcy, 413). Despite

this, no immediate actions are being made to overcome these androcentric practices in order to

ensure that women are given equal opportunity. Females incarcerated face much more neglect

than males because their numbers are increasing at a higher rate, women are left to deal with

motherhood behind bars, and more women report suffering from mental, physical and sexual

abuse while imprisoned.

Doe 2

Foremost, the fact that the number of women in the prison system is rising at an overly

excessive rate proves the point that females incarcerated are subject to much more neglect as

opposed to men. Efforts being made to lower the overall incarceration levels have reported

having only been effective for men more than women. The women’s population numbers have

flared far worse to the point where they make up for any reductions in male incarceration. “Over

the past 40 years, the entire United States penal population has grown at an unprecedented rate,

and the rate of female incarceration is growing at twice the rate of men”(DeCourcy, 396). The

standards being incorporated into criminal punishment allows for the constant inequitable and

excessive outcomes for female offenders. Women are constantly being given lengthy prison

sentences for low-level crimes and majority of the time it is female minorities that are being

targeted for these offenses. Black women and other women of color are at the forefront of the

increasing amount of females incarcerated. “They found that in states where larger percentages

of the black than white population resided in urban areas, there were higher rates of black

imprisonment and lower rates of white imprisonment” (Hiemer et al., 223). The fact that the

consistent growth of females being imprisoned is mainly focused on a specific group of women

showcases the blatant racism and systematic oppression practiced in the criminal justice system.

Black women are the ones being the most negatively affected by the exclusion of females from

the policies and laws that are meant to protect offenders from extreme unreasonable

punishments. “...Black women were approximately 47.5 percent of female prisoners, whereas

black men accounted for only 29 percent of imprisoned men” (Gross, 29). As opposed to men,

women of color essentially dominates the increase of females in the prison population. Female

imprisonment contributes to a large portion of the mass incarceration crisis prevalent in

Doe 3

American prisons. The over-incarceration of women highlights the sexism and racial injustice

rooted in the criminal justice system.

Furthermore, imprisoned women face far more neglect than males because they have to

face the struggles of motherhood while locked away in a toxic environment that is far from being

family-friendly. As a result of the increase in female incarceration, women are much more likely

to be separated from their families. It has been reported “61 percent of women in state prisons

and 56 percent of those in federal facilities are parents of minor children. Among imprisoned

mothers, 64 percent had lived with their children before going to prison; the corresponding figure

for fathers was 47 percent” (Kilgore, 156). Women are being separated from their children at

high concentrations and are forced to parent under low-quality circumstances. With them unable

to properly take charge of the major parenting responsibilities that come with being a mother,

female inmates are placed under the immense stress of not being present for their child(ren).

“The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) shows that more than 60 percent of female prisoners were

mothers to minor children and that about 150,000 American children currently have mothers in

prison” (Turney and Wildeman, 1158). The justice system makes it impossible for mothers in

prison to take care of their children and other family matters. Pregnant inmates commonly

experience the most unethical treatment and practices while incarcerated. The lack of care and

precision in which prison systems handle female gestation and birth showcases the

dehumanization of pregnant women while kept imprisoned. “In the United States, incarcerated

pregnant women are more likely to experience risk factors associated with unfavorable perinatal

outcomes and inadequate prenatal care” (Matos, 3070). Maternal-fetal deaths trend in American

prison systems as a result of the lack of necessary precautions and proper health care services

Doe 4

being implemented. Incarcerated pregnant women are vulnerable to high chances of

complications and fatalities yet there has been no dedication in ensuring the protection and safety

of all pregnant women in prison. The lack of understanding and empathy in the prison system for

maternal figures and the damage that is being imposed on not only the lives of the inmates but

also their children further demonstrates the abandonment that women are constantly exposed to

while imprisoned.

In addition, compared to men much more women report having suffered from many more

accounts of mental, physical, and sexual abuse established in the prison system. Due to the fact

that the justice system disproportionately caters to male needs, no one is addressing the

psychological issues acquired from trauma before and after prison among the female population.

A large number of female inmates struggle from childhood trauma that consists of physical or

sexual abuse. It has been reported that the “...estimates of the percentage of women in prison

who have experienced violence, including rape, sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic

violence before being incarcerated range from 40 to 85 percent” (Kilgore, 157). Unfortunately,

these patterns of abuse continue in prison. Way too often female inmates become victims of

sexual harassment by fellow prisoners and even correctional staff. “Recent national surveys in

the U.S. estimate that 4% to 10% of prisoners experience sexual victimization during

incarceration...State-specific studies estimate a higher percent of prisoners are victimized

(20%–25%), with female prisoners reporting rates up to four times higher than their male

counterparts” (Kubiak et al., 39). Across multiple studies, it is proven that correctional staff

members perpetrate more than half of these incidents yet no justice or punishment is served for

such immoral misconduct. The negative impacts that abuse has on the mental health of women

Doe 5

after experiencing these traumas are the cause of the normality of substance abuse in female

prisons. “Female prisoners, both on remand and in prison, suffer poor mental health and

substance abuse problems on a scale that is disproportionately larger than in male prisoners”

(Koons-Witt and Crittenden, 78). Substance abuse directly correlates into the mental health

issues of female offenders for the mere fact that it is the only coping mechanism they have in

order to ensure their stability. The psychological damage being inflicted on female prisoners as a

result of the physical and sexual abuse common in prisons showcases the maltreatment of

women in the criminal justice system.

However, some may argue that males incarcerated go through just as much as females

and experience the same level of neglect from the prison system. They believe that men do not

receive any better treatment than women and are subject to the same hardships prevalent in

female prisons. But, they are wrong because there is a substantial gap between the level of

equality present between male and female offenders. What people fail to realize is that although

men do face injustice and hardships in the prison system it is not as frequent or common as it is

for women. Gender disparities in the justice system make it so women are disregarded and

focuses solely on the structure of male imprisonment. “Whereas incarcerated men tend to come

from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, the women tend to be even worse off. The

literature on incarcerated women documents poor outcomes for the women…” (Butcher et al.,

202). The criminal justice system has created an environment where female offenders are

receiving harsher punishments at higher rates. The lack of representation for women

imprisonment has standardized inequitable results for female offenders. Women are left with

fewer resources to defend themselves, which results in them frequently having more counts for a

Doe 6

charge compared to what a male would receive. Contrary to popular belief, male imprisonment

simply doesnt consist of the same imbalance prevailing in female incarceration.

In conclusion, imprisoned women are exposed to far more neglect than their male

counterparts. Female incarceration is rapidly rising at higher rates, women are being separated

from their children, and a large proportion of imprisoned women are victims of mental, physical,

and sexual abuse. Instead of seeking reform for the unethical practices that are prevalent in

female imprisonment, people choose to invalidate the issues of female incarceration to try to

make it appear as though men in the prison system are the only ones in need of aid. The constant

disregard for the mistreatment and exploitation of female inmates displays the gender inequality

being incorporated into American prison systems. When discussing the mass incarceration crisis

men should not be made the central focus. Female offenders are impacted just as much and

should be equally represented in the justice system. Reform for imprisoned women should be a

priority, not an afterthought.

Doe 7

Works Cited

DeCourcy, Emma. “The Injustice of Formal Gender Equality in Sentencing.” ​Fordham Urban Law Journal​, vol. 47, no. 2, Feb. 2020, pp. 395–430. ​EBSCOhost ​, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=142301012&site=eds-live.

Karen Heimer, et al. “Race and Women’s Imprisonment: Poverty, African American Presence, and Social Welfare.” Journal of Quantitative Criminology, vol. 28, no. 2, 2012, p. 219. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.43551929&site=eds-live.

Gross, Kali Nicole. “African American Women, Mass Incarceration, and the Politics of Protection.” Journal of American History, vol. 102, no. 1, June 2015, pp. 25–33. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1093/jahist/jav226.

Kilgore, James William. Understanding Mass Incarceration : A People’s Guide to the Key Civil Rights Struggle of Our Time. The New Press, 2015. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1032103&site=ehost-live.

Turney, Kristin, and Christopher Wildeman. “Maternal Incarceration and the Transformation of Urban Family Life.” Social Forces, vol. 96, no. 3, Mar. 2018, pp. 1155–1182. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1093/sf/sox070.

Matos, Khesia Kelly Cardoso, et al. “Representations of Incarcerated Women about Prison Management.” Journal of Nursing UFPE / Revista de Enfermagem UFPE, vol. 12, no. 11, Nov. 2018, pp. 3069–3077. EBSCOhost, doi:10.5205/1981-8963-v12i11a235006p3069-3077-2018.

Kubiak, Sheryl P., et al. “Do Sexually Victimized Female Prisoners Perceive Justice in Litigation Process and Outcomes?” Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, vol. 23, no. 1, Feb. 2017, pp. 39–52. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1037/law0000100.

Koons-Witt, Barbara, and Courtney Crittenden. “Gender Differences and Program Participation among Prisoners with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders.” Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, vol. 57, no. 7, Oct. 2018, pp. 431–458. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/10509674.2018.1523818.

Butcher, Kristin F., et al. “Comparing Apples to Oranges: Differences in Women’s and Men’s Incarceration and Sentencing Outcomes.” Journal of Labor Economics, vol. 35, July 2017, pp. S201–S234. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1086/691276.

Classic Model for an Argument No one structure fits all written arguments. However, most college courses require arguments that

consist of the following elements. Below is a basic outline for an argumentative or persuasive essay. This is only one possible outline or organization. Always refer to your handbook for specifics.

I. Introductory Paragraph

o Your introductory paragraph sets the stage or the context for the position you are arguing for.

o This introduction should end with a thesis statement that provides your claim (what you are arguing for) and the reasons for your position on an issue.

A. Your thesis:

o states what your position on an issue is

o usually appears at the end of the introduction in a short essay

o should be clearly stated and often contains emphatic language (should, ought, must)

B. Sample Argumentative Thesis

o The production, sale, and possession of assault weapons for private citizens should be banned in the U.S.

II. Body of your Argument

A. Background Information

o This section of your paper gives the reader the basic information he or she needs to understand your position. This could be part of the introduction, but may work as its

own section.

B. Reasons or Evidence to Support your Claim

o All evidence you present in this section should support your position. This is the heart of

your essay. Generally, you begin with a general statement that you back up with specific details or examples. Depending on how long your argument is, you will need to devote

one to two well-developed paragraphs to each reason/claim or type of evidence.

o Types of evidence include:

• first-hand examples and experiential knowledge on your topic (specific examples

help your readers connect to your topic in a way they cannot with abstract ideas)

• Opinions from recognized authorities

• The tipsheet on the three logical appeals covers the types of evidence you can use in

argumentation.

1. Claim: Keeping assault weapons out of private citizens’ hands can lower the

increasing occurrences of barbaric public slayings

• Evidence:

o Jul 93 Law firm murders

o Columbine School Shootings

o University of Virginia incident

o How did these individuals gain access to weapons?

2. Claim: The ban on assault weapons is backed heavily by public opinion, major

organizations, and even law enforcement.

• Evidence:

o 12% favor ban (Much 92 Timetable News)

o Organizational endorsements

o Nat'l Sherriff's Assoc./lntn'l Assoc. of Police Chiefs

3. Claim: The monetary and human costs incurred by crimes committed with assault

weapons are too great to ignore.

• Evidence:

o 10,561 murders in 1990 by handguns

o Study of 131 injured patients’ medical expenses paid by public funds

III. Addressing the Opposite Side

o Any well-written argument must anticipate and address positions in opposition to the one

being argued.

o Pointing out what your opposition is likely to say in response to your argument shows that

you have thought critically about your topic. Addressing the opposite side actually makes your argument stronger!

o Generally, this takes the form of a paragraph that can be placed either after the introduction

or before the conclusion.

A. 1st Opposing View: Strict gun control laws won't affect crime rate

• Refutation: Low murder rate in Britain, Australia (etc., where strict controls are in

force.

B. 2nd Opposing View: Outlaws would still own guns

• Refutation: Any effort to move trend in opposite direction would benefit future

generations

IV. Conclusion

o The conclusion should bring the essay to a logical end. It should explain what the importance of your issue is in a larger context. Your conclusion should also reiterate why

your topic is worth caring about.

o Some arguments propose solutions or make prediction on the future of the topic.

o Show your reader what would happen if your argument is or is not believed or acted upon as you believe it should be.

Adapted from:

Simon & Schuster Handbook for Writers. Ed. Lynn Quitman Troyka, 6 th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002.

The Writer’s Workplace. Ed. Sandra Scarry and John Scarry. 6 th ed. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth, 2008.

Doe 1

Jane Doe

Professor Jean

ENC 1102

9 July 2020

Mass incarceration: The detrimental Impacts on Imprisoned Women

When it comes to discussing the corruption in the American justice system the only thing

that society tends to focus on is the mass imprisonment of men. People go around demanding for

reformation in the prison system for male incarceration, all the while completely disregarding the

prevailing injustice being inflicted on imprisoned women. The common misconception that has

been deeply rooted in society is that women have it easy therefore they don't receive treatment as

harsh or vigorous as men. When in reality, female offenders are the ones being subject to a larger

amount of immorality and exploitation while behind bars. Throughout history and even now a

vast majority of the practices found in the American prison system are structured around gender

disparities that showcase the bias towards male offenders.“The rising rate of female incarceration

has been correlated with major changes in policy that produced a largely gender-neutral

approach to criminal punishment. This ‘gender-neutral’ approach does not, however, treat

women and men equally, but rather treats women as if they were men” (DeCourcy, 413). Despite

this, no immediate actions are being made to overcome these androcentric practices in order to

ensure that women are given equal opportunity. Females incarcerated face much more neglect

than males because their numbers are increasing at a higher rate, women are left to deal with

motherhood behind bars, and more women report suffering from mental, physical and sexual

abuse while imprisoned.

Doe 2

Foremost, the fact that the number of women in the prison system is rising at an overly

excessive rate proves the point that females incarcerated are subject to much more neglect as

opposed to men. Efforts being made to lower the overall incarceration levels have reported

having only been effective for men more than women. The women’s population numbers have

flared far worse to the point where they make up for any reductions in male incarceration. “Over

the past 40 years, the entire United States penal population has grown at an unprecedented rate,

and the rate of female incarceration is growing at twice the rate of men”(DeCourcy, 396). The

standards being incorporated into criminal punishment allows for the constant inequitable and

excessive outcomes for female offenders. Women are constantly being given lengthy prison

sentences for low-level crimes and majority of the time it is female minorities that are being

targeted for these offenses. Black women and other women of color are at the forefront of the

increasing amount of females incarcerated. “They found that in states where larger percentages

of the black than white population resided in urban areas, there were higher rates of black

imprisonment and lower rates of white imprisonment” (Hiemer et al., 223). The fact that the

consistent growth of females being imprisoned is mainly focused on a specific group of women

showcases the blatant racism and systematic oppression practiced in the criminal justice system.

Black women are the ones being the most negatively affected by the exclusion of females from

the policies and laws that are meant to protect offenders from extreme unreasonable

punishments. “...Black women were approximately 47.5 percent of female prisoners, whereas

black men accounted for only 29 percent of imprisoned men” (Gross, 29). As opposed to men,

women of color essentially dominates the increase of females in the prison population. Female

imprisonment contributes to a large portion of the mass incarceration crisis prevalent in

Doe 3

American prisons. The over-incarceration of women highlights the sexism and racial injustice

rooted in the criminal justice system.

Furthermore, imprisoned women face far more neglect than males because they have to

face the struggles of motherhood while locked away in a toxic environment that is far from being

family-friendly. As a result of the increase in female incarceration, women are much more likely

to be separated from their families. It has been reported “61 percent of women in state prisons

and 56 percent of those in federal facilities are parents of minor children. Among imprisoned

mothers, 64 percent had lived with their children before going to prison; the corresponding figure

for fathers was 47 percent” (Kilgore, 156). Women are being separated from their children at

high concentrations and are forced to parent under low-quality circumstances. With them unable

to properly take charge of the major parenting responsibilities that come with being a mother,

female inmates are placed under the immense stress of not being present for their child(ren).

“The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) shows that more than 60 percent of female prisoners were

mothers to minor children and that about 150,000 American children currently have mothers in

prison” (Turney and Wildeman, 1158). The justice system makes it impossible for mothers in

prison to take care of their children and other family matters. Pregnant inmates commonly

experience the most unethical treatment and practices while incarcerated. The lack of care and

precision in which prison systems handle female gestation and birth showcases the

dehumanization of pregnant women while kept imprisoned. “In the United States, incarcerated

pregnant women are more likely to experience risk factors associated with unfavorable perinatal

outcomes and inadequate prenatal care” (Matos, 3070). Maternal-fetal deaths trend in American

prison systems as a result of the lack of necessary precautions and proper health care services

Doe 4

being implemented. Incarcerated pregnant women are vulnerable to high chances of

complications and fatalities yet there has been no dedication in ensuring the protection and safety

of all pregnant women in prison. The lack of understanding and empathy in the prison system for

maternal figures and the damage that is being imposed on not only the lives of the inmates but

also their children further demonstrates the abandonment that women are constantly exposed to

while imprisoned.

In addition, compared to men much more women report having suffered from many more

accounts of mental, physical, and sexual abuse established in the prison system. Due to the fact

that the justice system disproportionately caters to male needs, no one is addressing the

psychological issues acquired from trauma before and after prison among the female population.

A large number of female inmates struggle from childhood trauma that consists of physical or

sexual abuse. It has been reported that the “...estimates of the percentage of women in prison

who have experienced violence, including rape, sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic

violence before being incarcerated range from 40 to 85 percent” (Kilgore, 157). Unfortunately,

these patterns of abuse continue in prison. Way too often female inmates become victims of

sexual harassment by fellow prisoners and even correctional staff. “Recent national surveys in

the U.S. estimate that 4% to 10% of prisoners experience sexual victimization during

incarceration...State-specific studies estimate a higher percent of prisoners are victimized

(20%–25%), with female prisoners reporting rates up to four times higher than their male

counterparts” (Kubiak et al., 39). Across multiple studies, it is proven that correctional staff

members perpetrate more than half of these incidents yet no justice or punishment is served for

such immoral misconduct. The negative impacts that abuse has on the mental health of women

Doe 5

after experiencing these traumas are the cause of the normality of substance abuse in female

prisons. “Female prisoners, both on remand and in prison, suffer poor mental health and

substance abuse problems on a scale that is disproportionately larger than in male prisoners”

(Koons-Witt and Crittenden, 78). Substance abuse directly correlates into the mental health

issues of female offenders for the mere fact that it is the only coping mechanism they have in

order to ensure their stability. The psychological damage being inflicted on female prisoners as a

result of the physical and sexual abuse common in prisons showcases the maltreatment of

women in the criminal justice system.

However, some may argue that males incarcerated go through just as much as females

and experience the same level of neglect from the prison system. They believe that men do not

receive any better treatment than women and are subject to the same hardships prevalent in

female prisons. But, they are wrong because there is a substantial gap between the level of

equality present between male and female offenders. What people fail to realize is that although

men do face injustice and hardships in the prison system it is not as frequent or common as it is

for women. Gender disparities in the justice system make it so women are disregarded and

focuses solely on the structure of male imprisonment. “Whereas incarcerated men tend to come

from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, the women tend to be even worse off. The

literature on incarcerated women documents poor outcomes for the women…” (Butcher et al.,

202). The criminal justice system has created an environment where female offenders are

receiving harsher punishments at higher rates. The lack of representation for women

imprisonment has standardized inequitable results for female offenders. Women are left with

fewer resources to defend themselves, which results in them frequently having more counts for a

Doe 6

charge compared to what a male would receive. Contrary to popular belief, male imprisonment

simply doesnt consist of the same imbalance prevailing in female incarceration.

In conclusion, imprisoned women are exposed to far more neglect than their male

counterparts. Female incarceration is rapidly rising at higher rates, women are being separated

from their children, and a large proportion of imprisoned women are victims of mental, physical,

and sexual abuse. Instead of seeking reform for the unethical practices that are prevalent in

female imprisonment, people choose to invalidate the issues of female incarceration to try to

make it appear as though men in the prison system are the only ones in need of aid. The constant

disregard for the mistreatment and exploitation of female inmates displays the gender inequality

being incorporated into American prison systems. When discussing the mass incarceration crisis

men should not be made the central focus. Female offenders are impacted just as much and

should be equally represented in the justice system. Reform for imprisoned women should be a

priority, not an afterthought.

Doe 7

Works Cited

DeCourcy, Emma. “The Injustice of Formal Gender Equality in Sentencing.” ​Fordham Urban Law Journal​, vol. 47, no. 2, Feb. 2020, pp. 395–430. ​EBSCOhost ​, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=142301012&site=eds-live.

Karen Heimer, et al. “Race and Women’s Imprisonment: Poverty, African American Presence, and Social Welfare.” Journal of Quantitative Criminology, vol. 28, no. 2, 2012, p. 219. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.43551929&site=eds-live.

Gross, Kali Nicole. “African American Women, Mass Incarceration, and the Politics of Protection.” Journal of American History, vol. 102, no. 1, June 2015, pp. 25–33. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1093/jahist/jav226.

Kilgore, James William. Understanding Mass Incarceration : A People’s Guide to the Key Civil Rights Struggle of Our Time. The New Press, 2015. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1032103&site=ehost-live.

Turney, Kristin, and Christopher Wildeman. “Maternal Incarceration and the Transformation of Urban Family Life.” Social Forces, vol. 96, no. 3, Mar. 2018, pp. 1155–1182. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1093/sf/sox070.

Matos, Khesia Kelly Cardoso, et al. “Representations of Incarcerated Women about Prison Management.” Journal of Nursing UFPE / Revista de Enfermagem UFPE, vol. 12, no. 11, Nov. 2018, pp. 3069–3077. EBSCOhost, doi:10.5205/1981-8963-v12i11a235006p3069-3077-2018.

Kubiak, Sheryl P., et al. “Do Sexually Victimized Female Prisoners Perceive Justice in Litigation Process and Outcomes?” Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, vol. 23, no. 1, Feb. 2017, pp. 39–52. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1037/law0000100.

Koons-Witt, Barbara, and Courtney Crittenden. “Gender Differences and Program Participation among Prisoners with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders.” Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, vol. 57, no. 7, Oct. 2018, pp. 431–458. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/10509674.2018.1523818.

Butcher, Kristin F., et al. “Comparing Apples to Oranges: Differences in Women’s and Men’s Incarceration and Sentencing Outcomes.” Journal of Labor Economics, vol. 35, July 2017, pp. S201–S234. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1086/691276.