Introduction
Women make up 7 percent of the nation's prison population. Since 1978, the number of women in state and federal prisons has surged by almost 800 percent. Above, women in the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka, Ala. (AP Photo/The Montgomery Advertiser/Albert Cesare)
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The number of women in state and federal prisons has surged since 1978 by nearly 800 percent — twice the growth rate for men. Mandatory sentences for drug offenses enacted during the 1980s and 1990s have hit women particularly hard, many experts say. But some prosecutors and Republicans dispute the claim that the so-called war on drugs has disproportionately hurt women. They say mandatory sentencing has reduced crime, helped break up drug rings and ended sentencing disparities. Reformers hope states' recent efforts to reduce prison populations and spend more on drug treatment will help women. But they say women still remain an afterthought in the penal system. For example, reformers say courts and prisons rarely recognize women's responsibility as mothers or the factors underlying their participation in crime, such as domestic abuse. The justice system, women's advocates say, needs to think creatively about how to help female prisoners. Meanwhile, in the juvenile system, girls often receive harsher punishments than boys who commit similar offenses.
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Apr. 12, 2019 |
Bail Reform |
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Oct. 19, 2018 |
For-Profit Prisons |
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Mar. 03, 2017 |
Women in Prison |
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Jan. 10, 2014 |
Sentencing Reform |
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Sep. 14, 2012 |
Solitary Confinement |
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Mar. 11, 2011 |
Downsizing Prisons |
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Dec. 04, 2009 |
Prisoner Reentry |
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Apr. 06, 2007 |
Prison Reform |
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Jan. 05, 2007 |
Prison Health Care |
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Sep. 17, 1999 |
Prison-Building Boom |
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Feb. 04, 1994 |
Prison Overcrowding |
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Oct. 20, 1989 |
Crime and Punishment: a Tenuous Link |
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Aug. 04, 1989 |
Can Prisons Rehabilitate Criminals? |
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Aug. 07, 1987 |
Prison Crowding |
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Nov. 25, 1983 |
Prison Overcrowding |
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Feb. 26, 1982 |
Religious Groups and Prison Reform |
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Jun. 18, 1976 |
Criminal Release System |
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Mar. 12, 1976 |
Reappraisal of Prison Policy |
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Oct. 20, 1971 |
Racial Tensions in Prisons |
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Oct. 13, 1965 |
Rehabilitation of Prisoners |
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Oct. 09, 1957 |
Prisons and Parole |
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May 02, 1952 |
Penal Reform |
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Jan. 30, 1937 |
The Future of Prison Industry |
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May 08, 1930 |
Prison Conditions and Penal Reform |
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