women in prison
-
Yesterday in Georgia, Women in Prison Regained Some of Their Dignity
On Tuesday, the Georgia Dignity Act (House Bill 345) went into effect in all women’s prison facilities in Georgia, giving more than 3,800 women locked up in the state access to basic necessities like sanitary napkins, as well as affording them the decency of not being chained while pregnant or giving birth. The bipartisan bill,…
-
Mentally Ill Black Woman Complains of Contractions, Gives Birth Alone in Florida Isolation Cell
Tammy Jackson, a mentally ill pregnant woman, was forced to deliver her baby in an “isolation cell” in a Florida detention center in April, according to public defender Howard Finkelstein in a letter to Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony. According to the Washington Post, she was escorted to her cell alone, only to have a…
-
Danielle Brooks Shines Bright as Her Character Faces Darkness in Season 6 of Orange is the New Black
Orange is the New Black took Netflix by storm. The chronicle of a white woman’s prison sentence gave us glimpses into the world of women in prison, particularly women of color. From petty thieves to murderers, shows like OITNB remind us of the humanity in everyone. One of the standout performers on the show is…
-
A Little Piece of Light: With a New Memoir, Donna Hylton Proves There Is Life After Prison
Dear Kim Kardashian West, My name is Donna Hylton. I am a mother who served 27 years in prison, including years in solitary confinement. I am an author and leader for social justice and an advocate for women and criminal-justice reform. You clearly had a successful meeting with the president at the White House to…
-
NYC’s First Lady Is Addressing the Intersection Between Incarcerated Women and Mental Illness
We want people to recognize that [the state of] our jails, our prisons, our emergency rooms—these are the results of untreated mental illness. So said New York City’s first lady, Chirlane McCray, during a recent visit to Chicago, telling her audience that she hopes to “disrupt” the link between mental illness and incarceration. To do…