Abstract
Due to low incarceration rates (less than 5% in more than half of all nations with prisoners), criminologists have historically had little motive to look specifically into the needs of the female prisoner population. Women Incarceration and Human Rights Violations: Feminist Criminology and Corrections is an expansive and critical review of the many injustices experienced by women in the corrections system. Using a feminist criminology theoretical lens, Gundy and Baumann-Grau review various U.N. Human Rights Treaties and Conventions and utilize extensive case studies, to illustrate the gender-biased sexual, medical, and relational violence experienced by imprisoned women around the world. The textbook is strongly organized, with an introductory chapter that thoroughly explains feminist criminology’s origin and evolution, gender-specific abuse and violence, and human rights—as defined by numerous world treaties.
Feminist criminology aims to bring to light the gender-specific experience of incarcerated women. Additionally, they aim to inform the larger field of criminology that the “historical, social, emotional, and biological/physical needs of women are different than those of men” (p. 6) and therefore as long as attention is not given to these innate differences, women will not receive the treatment and rehabilitation needed to succeed in the criminal justice system. The authors weave this theoretical framework throughout the book and make a strong case for why it is important to consider the distinct experience women have while in prison. Van Gundy and Baumann-Grau critically illustrate how these gaps in consciousness continue to perpetuate feelings of neglect among inmates.
Sexual abuse and medical abuse are the primary forms of gender-specific violence discussed in the textbook. In 2008, a study found that 9.6% of former inmates in the United States “reported one or more occurrence of sexual victimization during their most recent incarceration in a prison, jail, or postrelease community-treatment facility” (p. 33). This reality becomes even more alarming when one takes into consideration the low number of females working as correctional officers. The authors discuss these inconsistencies objectively and challenge readers to think of oppression in a different way. With regard to medical abuse, gynecological care is regarded as the most prevalent form of abuse. Inmates are regularly denied access to female physicians, reproductive health counseling, and pelvic exams that take into consideration the high prevalence of cervical, ovarian, and breast cancers in women. Often regarded as medical privileges, the authors powerfully argue that these needs are nothing short of human rights.
The second half of the book is supported by detailed discussions around reproductive care and familial relationships. The majority of incarcerated women are mothers, and a small percentage of them enter the system pregnant. The book challenges de jure policies that negatively impact women and their children and ends by making important suggestions for changing policies that affect them. These chapters give readers on the outside an insider’s perspective on how male-centered policies critically impact imprisoned women in sexist and racist ways.
Overall, Alana Van Gundy and Amy Baumann-Grau carefully organize an informative and captivating textbook. Filled with numerous examples and a conclusion that provides readers with recommendations for policy changes, Women, Incarceration, and Human Rights is a must-have for social work students or practitioners interested in the experience of women in the prison system. Those interested in feminist frameworks will appreciate reading a book that details the overlooked experiences of many women around the world.