The one thing prisons do very well is punish prisoners, especially women prisoners. Prisons strip them of their dignity, their health, and whatever self-esteem they once might have had (Watterson 12).

There are over 90,000 women in prison today. The majority are in prison for economic crimes. The most typical convictions resulting in imprisonment for women are property crimes, such as check forgery and illegal credit card use. Of women convicted of violent crimes, the vast majority were convicted for defending themselves or their children from abuse. Average prison terms are twice as long for killing husbands as for killing wives (Women's Economic Agenda Project).

According to interviews conducted by the Human Rights Watch Women's Rights Project, findings indicate that being a women prisoner in United States prisons can be a terrifying experience (6). Sexual misconduct and various forms of abuse and neglect of women inmates so pervade the U.S. correctional systems that human rights violations are virtua

Why is this maltreatment allowed to happen? Women taken into custody in the United States are legally entitled to the same fundamental rights that are available to everyone else. The correction system has failed to adjust to the gender-specific needs of the population. Ineffective formal procedures, legislation, and reporting capacity within U.S. jails and prisons accounts for much of the ongoing sexual abuse of women. The climate of sexual abuse by prison guards is fueled by lack of oversight and disciplinary action against sexual misconduct. In 1997, according to the U.S. Justice Department only ten prison employees in the entire federal system were disciplined, and only 7 were prosecuted. If a prison official is found guilty, he is often simply transferred to another facility instead of being fired (Fletcher et al. 93). Grievance or investigatory procedures, where they exist, are often ineffectual, and correctional employees continue to engage in abuse because they believe they will rarely be held accountable, administratively or criminally. Despite any laws on the books enforcement is often sporadic or non-existent (Women in Prison).

I strongly feel that, to protect female inmates, sexual contact between them and correctional officials should be criminalized and so-called consent must not be allowed as a defense.

After more than 200 years of living under the United States Constitution and despite all the progress we have made, women continue to suffer discrimination. Without a constitutional guarantee of women's equality, even good laws on women's rights can be ignored, revoked, or overruled. Women have the same human rights as men and these rights need to be enforced. As quoted by a woman in the New York House of Detention, "We humbly seek your support and help. We who are your fellow human beings need you, the public, to help us in our struggle to eliminate these injustices" (qtd. in Watterson 353).

Authori

Some common words found in the essay are:
Watch Custodial, Women Prison, Justice Department, Rights Incarcerated, Rights Project, United Constitution, House Detention, women prison, Project According, sexual abuse, human rights, sexual misconduct, women inmates, Human Rights, Rights Watch, illegal credit card, fletcher et, alternative sentencing, women prisons, rights watch, et al, fletcher et al, human rights watch, interaction mothers children, forgery illegal credit,
Approximate Word count = 1323
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)