The Effects of Gender on Prisoner Interactions

In the past prisoners, both male and females, were simply treated as slaves of the state. Wardens had the freedom and discretion to maintain prisons as they wanted. This meant there was no outside interference. That definition for prisoners was derived in the case Ruffin v. Commonwealth (1871). The Supreme Court decided that forfeiting liberties and personal rights were consequences of the crime committed. Prisoners were viewed as slaves. In addition, losing citizenship rights meant losing the ability to complain about living conditions (Peak, 2010). Women and men were subjected to horrible prison conditions in which the living conditions were fifthly, overcrowded and harsh. Often times they were beaten and sexual abused by male guards (Stuart von Wormer & Bartollas, 2011). It was not until the 1960’s that there was a major philosophical change in the courts about prisoner rights (Peak, 2010). At this point, inmates “now retained all the rights of free citizens except those restrictions necessary for their orderly confinement or to provide safety in the prison community” (Peak, 2010, p. 261). Inmates do not completely lose constitutional protections and still have basic rights (Peak, 2010). The other side to this progression involves considering gender.

Even within prisons, gender has played a role. Acoording to Dostoevsky (1864) the treatment of offenders is very reflective of their treatment within society. Overtime there was movement into the creation of unisexual institutions for men and women. Administration of women’s prisons was under the guidance of female leadership. Cotemporary corrections has maintained many of the aspects female administrators had implemented in female prisons, including educational i...

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...re . Retrieved from http://www.womenandprison.org/motherhood/view/pregnant_in_prison_and_denied_care/

Stuart Van Wormer, K. & Bartollas, C. (2011). Women and the criminal justice system, Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

References

Peak, K. J. (2010). Justice administration: police, courts, and corrections management, Sixth Edtion. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Pregnancy-related health care in prison or jail. (2008). Retrieved November 30, 2010, from http://www.aclu.org/files/images/asset_upload_file934_26498.pdf

Roth, R. (2010). Pregnant, in prison and denied care . Retrieved from http://www.womenandprison.org/motherhood/view/pregnant_in_prison_and_denied_care/

Stuart Van Wormer, K. & Bartollas, C. (2011). Women and the criminal justice system, Third Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.