Who are the women in prison?
The majority of the offenses for which women are incarcerated today are drug related. The “War on Drugs” has overwhelmingly targeted women, but not for being drug lords, but rather for being drug users. Further, mandatory minimums and media distortions have led to this increase of women in prison. In addition, we must remember that we live in a society that continues to be male oriented and dominated, in which women are receiving prison time for crimes that historically drew probation, and longer and harsher sentences for the same crimes their male counterparts commit. The most typical convictions which result in prison time for women are larceny, check forgery, fraud, prostitution and possession. Most are economic crimes; the majority of incarcerated women were living below the poverty level before their convictions. Women convicted of violent offenses were mostly accessories in crimes committed by men or defending their lives against abusive partners. Beyond the “war on crime” and “w
