I recommend everyone read the actual study this article is based on. It provides a much better analysis about the gendered aspects of incarceration and why it truly is a massive crisis without much of a solution in view. The most horrendous aspect of this crisis is the huge percentage of women who have mental illnesses and end up incarcerated not only without any hope for treatment, but also more likely to be retraumatized by the sexual and other forms of violence to which the inmates are likely to be subjected.
4
BUSINESSINSIDER:businessinsider.com
"The number of women in jail is reportedly skyrocketing, but no one knows why."
My take:
The Bureau of Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Funding Program of 2013 states its target is FEMALES.
In order for Law Enforcement/Government and other agencies/Providers to earn the grant monie$ from the BJA,
they offer to not keep the arrested woman in jail,
if the woman agrees to enroll in and be supervised in special programs.
*This is formally written under BJA program "Performance Measures":
"Number of days program participants spent in jail, prison or a hospital ...as a result of administrative violations of their condition of supervision, new offenses, or a mental health crisis."
"The number of participants who did not complete the program due to court or criminal involvement, lack of engagement.....".
"Number of current participants arrested or *sent to jail or prison* for administrative violations of their condition of supervision or new offenses".
If a female is not totally obedient / is unable to live up to the program requirements (possibly required of her through-out 11 years in and out of jail ),
she is removed from the program and has to do jail time for failing the program,
not for the *crime* that was never proven she did in first place?
A disenfranchised woman may never get a real chance to better herself,
because she agreed to plea in order to go into these programs in order to stay out of jail.
"The number of women in jail is reportedly skyrocketing, but no one knows why."
My take:
The Bureau of Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Funding Program of 2013 states its target is FEMALES.
In order for Law Enforcement/Government and other agencies/Providers to earn the grant monie$ from the BJA,
they offer to not keep the arrested woman in jail,
if the woman agrees to enroll in and be supervised in special programs.
*This is formally written under BJA program "Performance Measures":
"Number of days program participants spent in jail, prison or a hospital ...as a result of administrative violations of their condition of supervision, new offenses, or a mental health crisis."
"The number of participants who did not complete the program due to court or criminal involvement, lack of engagement.....".
"Number of current participants arrested or *sent to jail or prison* for administrative violations of their condition of supervision or new offenses".
If a female is not totally obedient / is unable to live up to the program requirements (possibly required of her through-out 11 years in and out of jail ),
she is removed from the program and has to do jail time for failing the program,
not for the *crime* that was never proven she did in first place?
A disenfranchised woman may never get a real chance to better herself,
because she agreed to plea in order to go into these programs in order to stay out of jail.
4
If they do the crime they have to do the time. It's not a 'plight', but a blight of sense and good life choices.
2
Back in the day when the traditional family existed, women, being quite secure, yearned not for life's darkest haunts. Nor, for the most part, did their husbands.
Indeed, there is a price to pay for ceding common sense to "enlightened" imaginations.
Indeed, there is a price to pay for ceding common sense to "enlightened" imaginations.
1
There was plenty of insecurity during your dream years and women were often depressed because they were not allowed to use their minds outside the home. My mother's happiest years were after the six kids were gone and she returned to work - long after being fired from a bank after WW II ended.
5
Is it not the goal of the feminist movement to have women treated the same as men in all fields of endeavor? It appears that, in the field of crime at least, that goal is approaching fruition.
2
Seven years of prison for $700 worth of theft?!! What a cost to her, her family and the taxpayers. Would have made more sense to assign her for a year to do some community service such as pick up litter, help at a childcare center, help at a food band, local hospital or clinic serving the poor.
6
Let's say...
A female has 5 children from someone impregnating her.
She was attempting to feed them by herself.
Possibly for brushing broccoli into her purse(as I saw an elderly white woman do one night while I was grocery shopping).
She was held in jail or prison through-out 11 years.
In the Bureau of Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program whose stated target is FEMALES that I referenced hours earlier;
In order for Law Enforcement/Government and other agencies/Providers to collect the grant monie$;
is this "Under Performance Measures":
"Number of days program participants spent in jail, prison or a hospital..as a result of administrative violations of their condition of supervision, new offenses, or a mental health crisis."
"The number of participants who did not complete the program die to court or criminal involvement, lack of engagement...".
"Number of current participants arrested or sent to jail or prison for administrative violations of their condition of supervision or new offenses".
A female can be arrested for a *crime* and never get a real chance to better herself,
because she agreed to go into these programs to stay out of jail.
If she is not totally obedient in/to the program (possibly required of her through-out the 11 years in and out of jail ) she is removed from the program and has to do time for the crime she may not have committed or wasn't a *crime* in the first place.
TRAPPED.
I did not take it upon myself to report that elderly woman BTW.
A female has 5 children from someone impregnating her.
She was attempting to feed them by herself.
Possibly for brushing broccoli into her purse(as I saw an elderly white woman do one night while I was grocery shopping).
She was held in jail or prison through-out 11 years.
In the Bureau of Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program whose stated target is FEMALES that I referenced hours earlier;
In order for Law Enforcement/Government and other agencies/Providers to collect the grant monie$;
is this "Under Performance Measures":
"Number of days program participants spent in jail, prison or a hospital..as a result of administrative violations of their condition of supervision, new offenses, or a mental health crisis."
"The number of participants who did not complete the program die to court or criminal involvement, lack of engagement...".
"Number of current participants arrested or sent to jail or prison for administrative violations of their condition of supervision or new offenses".
A female can be arrested for a *crime* and never get a real chance to better herself,
because she agreed to go into these programs to stay out of jail.
If she is not totally obedient in/to the program (possibly required of her through-out the 11 years in and out of jail ) she is removed from the program and has to do time for the crime she may not have committed or wasn't a *crime* in the first place.
TRAPPED.
I did not take it upon myself to report that elderly woman BTW.
3
Maybe we should declare a 5 year moratorium on all drug arrests etc and see what neighborhoods look like. If they see to be better keep hand off. If not put the laws back into affect.
7
just a note that works out to be 7 percent over a 44 year period. We can do better but this isn't as bad as it looks. What the focus of the headline should be
the problems created and how we can fix them. Looking at the percentages, which anyone can do, destroys what is being said.
the problems created and how we can fix them. Looking at the percentages, which anyone can do, destroys what is being said.
Equal opportunity to do wrong, equal consequences. We gals are making headway, folks. But, sorry, this feminist has no patience with your choice to throw away money on destructive substances like cocaine and heroin and tobacco and all that rot, when you could spend it on your children's needs.
3
Is it due to police bias or growing female participation in activities punishable by jail terms?
3
In reporting, please, stop writing, "drugs and alcohol." It's reprehensibly irresponsible and shows fawning to this corpocracy.
Alcohol just may be the worst drug, after nicotine, which is never even mentioned. As for this specific article, it was well written, revealed little known information, and further disgusts me that the "war on drugs" was created to benefit for-profit prisons. Adding mothers and how the mothers' incarcerations destroy children is barbaric and heart breaking. The nation will pay dearly for this.
Alcohol just may be the worst drug, after nicotine, which is never even mentioned. As for this specific article, it was well written, revealed little known information, and further disgusts me that the "war on drugs" was created to benefit for-profit prisons. Adding mothers and how the mothers' incarcerations destroy children is barbaric and heart breaking. The nation will pay dearly for this.
18
Where have you been? This has been building for decades! I don't understand your disgust of writing "drugs and alcohol." If you don't believe that substance abuse affects the lives of the women who are ending up in our jails or our prisons, you are out of touch.
The war on drugs was not created to benefit the for-profit-prison-industry. That took hold BECAUSE of the numbers of people being arrested, not the other way around!
The barbaric and heart breaking part of the consequences for children of incarcerated women, is that it's been happening for decades! Not that it was written in this article. How else are we going to educate the citizenry about these issues? I say, "Thanks NYT! Keep up the good work."
The war on drugs was not created to benefit the for-profit-prison-industry. That took hold BECAUSE of the numbers of people being arrested, not the other way around!
The barbaric and heart breaking part of the consequences for children of incarcerated women, is that it's been happening for decades! Not that it was written in this article. How else are we going to educate the citizenry about these issues? I say, "Thanks NYT! Keep up the good work."
4
(1)
" the number of women held in the nation’s 3,200 municipal and county jails for misdemeanor crimes or who are awaiting trial or sentencing had increased significantly — to about 110,000 in 2014 from fewer than 8,000 in 1970.
(2)
"(Over all, the nation’s jail population increased to 745,000 in 2014 from 157,000 in 1970.)"
=
So class, arithmetic time: in paragraph 2, we have an increase to 745k from 157k or 588,000, all people
in paragraph 1, for women, we have an increase from 8k to 110k, or 102,000
combining these two results, 588,000 total, reduced by 102,000, women, we find, if we stay trapped in the gender binary, that 486,000 men were added and 102,000 women were added
or a ratio > 4.5:1, M>F, (gender binary)
Men still get added to prison about 450% more than women and so this is a 'woman' issue
Maybe we should split the 588,000 and imprison men and women on a quota basis 1:1
Reminds me of the old phrase:
"world ends, women, minorities hardest hit"
=
The lead example here is junkie (oops opiate?-dependent or stimulant-dependent victim) who is a thief with multiple arrests (convictions not reported)
I suppose there is some significance to this increase happening in Small-villes across USA
= =
"And even as crime rates declined nationally, the trend toward jailing women in rural counties continued"
WHY OH WHY OH WHY do we keep putting people in jail, if the crime rate is low
" the number of women held in the nation’s 3,200 municipal and county jails for misdemeanor crimes or who are awaiting trial or sentencing had increased significantly — to about 110,000 in 2014 from fewer than 8,000 in 1970.
(2)
"(Over all, the nation’s jail population increased to 745,000 in 2014 from 157,000 in 1970.)"
=
So class, arithmetic time: in paragraph 2, we have an increase to 745k from 157k or 588,000, all people
in paragraph 1, for women, we have an increase from 8k to 110k, or 102,000
combining these two results, 588,000 total, reduced by 102,000, women, we find, if we stay trapped in the gender binary, that 486,000 men were added and 102,000 women were added
or a ratio > 4.5:1, M>F, (gender binary)
Men still get added to prison about 450% more than women and so this is a 'woman' issue
Maybe we should split the 588,000 and imprison men and women on a quota basis 1:1
Reminds me of the old phrase:
"world ends, women, minorities hardest hit"
=
The lead example here is junkie (oops opiate?-dependent or stimulant-dependent victim) who is a thief with multiple arrests (convictions not reported)
I suppose there is some significance to this increase happening in Small-villes across USA
= =
"And even as crime rates declined nationally, the trend toward jailing women in rural counties continued"
WHY OH WHY OH WHY do we keep putting people in jail, if the crime rate is low
8
Nasty nasty comments about this woman from people who are clueless about poverty and addiction.
If she were a middle upper class white woman she would have gone to inpatient treatment and most likely would have gobs of support . Family to help get the kids to soccer practice, help with school work, food and clothing . Plus a therapist to work with her regarding underlying depression, sense of hopelessness.
Give me a break people. Three cheers for this woman who dragged herself out of hell. No. Make it four cheers.
If she were a middle upper class white woman she would have gone to inpatient treatment and most likely would have gobs of support . Family to help get the kids to soccer practice, help with school work, food and clothing . Plus a therapist to work with her regarding underlying depression, sense of hopelessness.
Give me a break people. Three cheers for this woman who dragged herself out of hell. No. Make it four cheers.
35
The war on drugs has worked no better than Prohibition's war on alcohol. Neither eliminated the feared intoxicant, and both gave rise to violent gangs, increased murder and crime, severe damage to our cities, and corruption of our politics and justice system. It is time to legalize and tax drugs as we legalized and taxed alcohol and gambling. Loss without a public consensus behind them don't work. When you write laws to prohibit things which much of the public desires, you merely create new illicit channels to supply them.
7
It's the war on drugs. Women and men are addicts in huge proportions. Women weren't put in jail often in the past because of a paternalistic culture. Today, there is more equality, and since Crack or heroin dont differentiate by gender, more women are in jail. It's actually a sign of progress on one side because it shows that the justice system believes that women are actually responsible for their own decisions. Second, it shows how horrible drug addiction is in the United States. It's one of the few things on this earth that poor, rich, Black, White, women, and men can share in equally. Addiction is blind to everything but the power of the drug.
4
Maybe the old way was better. Men's and women's unique and different roles were duly acknowledged and taken into consideration. Hence, the hardships on the children, having to grow up and fend for themselves without a mother, were prevented. The new way ensures that the next generation will suffer the same fate, perpetuating and maintaining the cycle of poverty and crime, as the end of the article describes. Be careful of what you wish for.
2
No, the old way was not better. No, I do not want a role imposed on me because of my gender. No. Let us not go backwards.
2
The real crime is our incarceration rates in the US. (Largely due to the ill-conceived "war on drugs," initially a product of the racist "us vs. them" mentality, is bankrupting our country morally and shifting scarce resources that should be dedicated to education and creation of opportunity.)
9
It should be no surprise that as the distinction between male and female roles has narrowed more females would end up making choices that lead to prison. The idea that a women committing a crime should be treated differently than a man because she had children sounds like the old line about the boy who killed his parents asking for leniency because he is an orphan.
9
Very bad comparison and logic. She didn't become a mother because of her criminal behavior as did the boy who becomes an orphan as a result of his crime.
Women have been committing crimes all along. They have always received harsher & longer sentences because they are women! There are just more women committing crimes. Likely because of lack of jobs and safety net resources. When you see no way out or no good options some people are going to commit crimes. Inequality is so huge this should surprise no one.
Perhaps society and policing have changed more than anything. You can't blame increased criminality by women on gender equality. It is more likely backlash, similar to victims of domestic violence being arrested after mandatory arrest laws were passed. Large numbers of battered women who were defending themselves were arrested. And still are today because we still refuse to acknowledge the power imbalance between the sexes.
I don't think it matters whether the inmate is male or female. There should be other options to incarceration for single parents! However, the prison industrial complex and the American people cannot be bothered with what happens to the children of criminals.
We have economic choices in this issue. Are we going to spend money on families at risk or are we just going to allow the crimes to happen in the first place, and spend tax payer dollars on locking them up? The money will be spent either way.
Women have been committing crimes all along. They have always received harsher & longer sentences because they are women! There are just more women committing crimes. Likely because of lack of jobs and safety net resources. When you see no way out or no good options some people are going to commit crimes. Inequality is so huge this should surprise no one.
Perhaps society and policing have changed more than anything. You can't blame increased criminality by women on gender equality. It is more likely backlash, similar to victims of domestic violence being arrested after mandatory arrest laws were passed. Large numbers of battered women who were defending themselves were arrested. And still are today because we still refuse to acknowledge the power imbalance between the sexes.
I don't think it matters whether the inmate is male or female. There should be other options to incarceration for single parents! However, the prison industrial complex and the American people cannot be bothered with what happens to the children of criminals.
We have economic choices in this issue. Are we going to spend money on families at risk or are we just going to allow the crimes to happen in the first place, and spend tax payer dollars on locking them up? The money will be spent either way.
6
My question is: How do we reverse these trends? How do we get certain sub-sectors of the population to value education, to value family life, to value human life?
I'm more than willing to pour my own time & money into making a difference in peoples' lives. BUT the populations involved need to take some responsibility and initiative. I don't care/judge how a person got to where they are today -- are they willing to do what it takes to get out of it? How do we get these groups to do so? Like I said, I'm willing to help, but we're dealing with issues that money can't solve.
I'm more than willing to pour my own time & money into making a difference in peoples' lives. BUT the populations involved need to take some responsibility and initiative. I don't care/judge how a person got to where they are today -- are they willing to do what it takes to get out of it? How do we get these groups to do so? Like I said, I'm willing to help, but we're dealing with issues that money can't solve.
7
Jail is a growth industry, providing local "economic development" to lots of rural communities who are more than happy to keep adding onto their prisons, at a cost of about $40,000 per year, per prisoner. Ex cons are also, for the most part, rendered unemployable in society's eyes, and thus made wards of the state indefinitely. Providing jobs through infrastructure improvements would be so much cheaper and more effective, but it doesn't play as well with the electorate as "law and order."
9
Of course there is no need to control our borders and reduce the unfettered influx of drugs that destroy so many families. That would be "discrimination" against illegal immigrants.
6
The drug of choice is alcohol.
It is cheap and legal.
It is cheap and legal.
3
First of all, your language is not correct. People cannot be legal or illegal. They simply exist. They can be immigrants or citizens. They can be in this country with or without authorizing documents. But, they cannot BE illegal.
Second, anyone who thinks our rugged border with Mexico can ever be secured entirely is fooling themselves. Perhaps one way to deal with the criminal aspect of drug use is to decriminalize being a drug user/addict. And, if the drugs were legal and controlled by government the big drug traffickers would no longer have jobs. Fences can be climbed over or tunneled under. Don't waste my tax dollars on a wall. Elect people to congress who will actually do their jobs, unlike the republicans in congress right now! Immigration reform is needed NOW>
Second, anyone who thinks our rugged border with Mexico can ever be secured entirely is fooling themselves. Perhaps one way to deal with the criminal aspect of drug use is to decriminalize being a drug user/addict. And, if the drugs were legal and controlled by government the big drug traffickers would no longer have jobs. Fences can be climbed over or tunneled under. Don't waste my tax dollars on a wall. Elect people to congress who will actually do their jobs, unlike the republicans in congress right now! Immigration reform is needed NOW>
3
Prison should be for Violent offenders and most crooks. Including Cops.
Those non violent persons who prohibitionists force us to pay billions/year, to hunt and incarcerate, should be released immediately and awarded reparations.
Prohibitionists should be relieved of their estates to pay the reparations.
Then be required to inhabit their victims prison cells.
Those non violent persons who prohibitionists force us to pay billions/year, to hunt and incarcerate, should be released immediately and awarded reparations.
Prohibitionists should be relieved of their estates to pay the reparations.
Then be required to inhabit their victims prison cells.
6
Besdies the aspects covered in the article and the comments of readers, there was no mention made of jail space for women during the period discussed. Perhaps a lot of past space for women was underuttilized, now utilized?
The incarceration industry and the law enforcement industry always seeking new business. Witness antiquated marijuana laws and punishments.
2
This is because in January 2013 the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) put a financial bounty on the head of vulnerable women "suffering mental illness and/or trauma" such as rape.
Anyone calling 911 and offering up, upon very persistent (leading) questioning by the Dispatcher,
that a woman (your next door neighbor) could be qualified as such had the woman arrested for 'any old thing'.
The requirement is that the woman must be in or facing a criminal charge-have "come into contact with the justice system" before she can receive 'help' for her (as seen by those others) mental illness (alcohol or drug use, rape or violence).
The woman awaits in jail until via court the woman is offered 'help' she can't refuse-in return for not going to jail.
If the woman failed to succeed at the for-profit county court-designed rehabilitation *opportunity* she was remanded to jail.
These programs are a crucial one-stop re$ource for Providers:judges, behavioral health treatment providers, court managers, judicial educators, probation officers, and many others-and governmental partners.
My take here is just the short-cut version.
Check it out here: In particular the amounts of Financial Funding to set these 'situations' for women up;
Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program - Bureau of Justice ...
https://www.bja.gov/funding/13jmhcpsol.pdf
Jan 24, 2013 - Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program. FY 2013 Competitive Grant Announcement. Eligibility.
Anyone calling 911 and offering up, upon very persistent (leading) questioning by the Dispatcher,
that a woman (your next door neighbor) could be qualified as such had the woman arrested for 'any old thing'.
The requirement is that the woman must be in or facing a criminal charge-have "come into contact with the justice system" before she can receive 'help' for her (as seen by those others) mental illness (alcohol or drug use, rape or violence).
The woman awaits in jail until via court the woman is offered 'help' she can't refuse-in return for not going to jail.
If the woman failed to succeed at the for-profit county court-designed rehabilitation *opportunity* she was remanded to jail.
These programs are a crucial one-stop re$ource for Providers:judges, behavioral health treatment providers, court managers, judicial educators, probation officers, and many others-and governmental partners.
My take here is just the short-cut version.
Check it out here: In particular the amounts of Financial Funding to set these 'situations' for women up;
Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program - Bureau of Justice ...
https://www.bja.gov/funding/13jmhcpsol.pdf
Jan 24, 2013 - Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program. FY 2013 Competitive Grant Announcement. Eligibility.
5
whisper spritely:
I'm confused by your take/short-cut version because it seems so different from the info in your link.
The link you presented is a grant announcement, and the funding is for collaborations between criminal justice entities and mental health entities. It seems the grants are to be used to establish and administer programs that would assist people with mental illness who "come in contact with the justice system." The grant doesn't specify that these programs are only for women.
Maybe you forgot to include a link supporting your take?
BTW, in my opinion it doesn't seem terrible to link people that are in trouble with the justice system with mental health services if need be.
I'm confused by your take/short-cut version because it seems so different from the info in your link.
The link you presented is a grant announcement, and the funding is for collaborations between criminal justice entities and mental health entities. It seems the grants are to be used to establish and administer programs that would assist people with mental illness who "come in contact with the justice system." The grant doesn't specify that these programs are only for women.
Maybe you forgot to include a link supporting your take?
BTW, in my opinion it doesn't seem terrible to link people that are in trouble with the justice system with mental health services if need be.
3
AKC-
I appreciate your attention.
Page #7 in the grant announcement:
TARGET Population Considerations
*Provision of Services for Justice System-Involved FEMALES.
*Target Population Requirements:
Grant funds must be used to support the TARGET population ...who
*Have been diagnosed as having a mental illness (when and as determined by whom?) or co-occuring mental health and substance abuse disorders; AND
*HAVE FACED, ARE FACING, OR COULD FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR A MISDEMEANER OR NONVIOLENT OFFENSE.
ARREST FIRST/THROW INTO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM before offering the help that might be needed.
On the face of it I approve of this program.
The problem is that it is torqued by Law Enforcement at the outset and Providers thereafter.
I appreciate your attention.
Page #7 in the grant announcement:
TARGET Population Considerations
*Provision of Services for Justice System-Involved FEMALES.
*Target Population Requirements:
Grant funds must be used to support the TARGET population ...who
*Have been diagnosed as having a mental illness (when and as determined by whom?) or co-occuring mental health and substance abuse disorders; AND
*HAVE FACED, ARE FACING, OR COULD FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR A MISDEMEANER OR NONVIOLENT OFFENSE.
ARREST FIRST/THROW INTO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM before offering the help that might be needed.
On the face of it I approve of this program.
The problem is that it is torqued by Law Enforcement at the outset and Providers thereafter.
The Bureau of Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program states its target is FEMALES.
In order for Law Enforcement/Government and other agencies/Providers to collect grant monie$,
they offer to not keep the woman in jail,
if the woman agrees to enroll in special programs.
This is formally written under BJA "Performance Measures":
*Number of days program participants spent in jail, prison or a hospital ...as a result of administrative violations of their condition of supervision, new offenses, or a mental health crisis.
*The number of participants who did not complete the program due to court or criminal involvement, lack of engagement..... .
*"Number of current participants arrested or *sent to jail or prison* for administrative violations of their condition of supervision or new offenses".
If a female is not totally obedient / is unable to live up to the program requirements (possibly required of her through-out 11 years in and out of jail ),
she is removed from the program and has to do jail time for failing the program, not for the *crime* it was never proven she did in first place?
A disenfranchised woman may never get a real chance to better herself,
because she agreed to go into these programs in order to stay out of jail.
In order for Law Enforcement/Government and other agencies/Providers to collect grant monie$,
they offer to not keep the woman in jail,
if the woman agrees to enroll in special programs.
This is formally written under BJA "Performance Measures":
*Number of days program participants spent in jail, prison or a hospital ...as a result of administrative violations of their condition of supervision, new offenses, or a mental health crisis.
*The number of participants who did not complete the program due to court or criminal involvement, lack of engagement..... .
*"Number of current participants arrested or *sent to jail or prison* for administrative violations of their condition of supervision or new offenses".
If a female is not totally obedient / is unable to live up to the program requirements (possibly required of her through-out 11 years in and out of jail ),
she is removed from the program and has to do jail time for failing the program, not for the *crime* it was never proven she did in first place?
A disenfranchised woman may never get a real chance to better herself,
because she agreed to go into these programs in order to stay out of jail.
People do what they believe is in their best interest with the resources they have. People make poor choices when they believe that's all they've got.
No mother and no person wakes up deciding to harm their family and themselves with addiction and underemployment. Doctors don't treat patients by stating the obvious because it doesn't work and it doesn't address the root of the problem--so maybe we can learn from those who deal with these issues as a profession. Doctors, social workers, nurses, social scientists. None of them would tsk tsk Dolfinette Martin with a lecture on personal responsibility and expect it to work.
Self harm is red flag for doctors and it should be a red flag to anyone with half a brain.
People need the right kind of information and support to make good choices regardless of class, race, or education.
No mother and no person wakes up deciding to harm their family and themselves with addiction and underemployment. Doctors don't treat patients by stating the obvious because it doesn't work and it doesn't address the root of the problem--so maybe we can learn from those who deal with these issues as a profession. Doctors, social workers, nurses, social scientists. None of them would tsk tsk Dolfinette Martin with a lecture on personal responsibility and expect it to work.
Self harm is red flag for doctors and it should be a red flag to anyone with half a brain.
People need the right kind of information and support to make good choices regardless of class, race, or education.
8
Violent criminals obviously need to be locked in a cage to protect society. But as this article illustrates, the rise of the prison-industrial state during the past few decades is fueled by incarceration of non-violent humans as well. The politicians who force taxpayers to pay billions of dollars incarcerating non-violent "offenders" should be held accountable. The money could be used much more productively to protect and support our country.
26
Women wanted equality, well now you got it. Where women used to get off now they don't, have fun on your even playing field
15
Your compassion is deeply touching, Antonio.
15
The overall rate of incarceration (which includes prison and jail) for black women in the US is down significantly since 2001. See this blogpost published just yesterday: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/08/16/black-incarcerati...
5
Steve S., The Washing ton Post? One of the most conservative rags in the US. Of course, it would take the stance of everything is okey dokey.
2
Timothy William's article states (Over all, the nation’s jail population increased to 745,000 in 2014 from 157,000 in 1970.)
Women have been getting away with crime for decades, because of the
"Unleveled playing field" now that it is a "level playing field" it's problem.
Women have been getting away with crime for decades, because of the
"Unleveled playing field" now that it is a "level playing field" it's problem.
8
To those who say these women deserve punishment because of their bad choices, what about our bad choice of incarceration rather than treatment? Two wrongs don't make a right.
31
This woman and the many others this story infers upon certainly made some poor choices. But in the end - so what - we still need to care.These women's choices were their own - and they should own it. But from a broader perspective their situation reflects greater societal and structural issues - and that's the responsibility laid on the rest of us to end the "cycle" where poor choices end up being the only choices.
I'm a white mid-aged college-educated male. I'm in the bubble. I'll assume that pretty much everyone commenting here has more in common with me than the woman in this story. But we must step off our podium and ask - would she have these same choices if she had access to quality child-care, job counseling and skills training, mentoring, out-patient drug prevention - whatever other resources people like her might need. Sure it costs money - but non-violent offender incarceration costs a great deal too. In the long run a great deal more, I think.
I'm a white mid-aged college-educated male. I'm in the bubble. I'll assume that pretty much everyone commenting here has more in common with me than the woman in this story. But we must step off our podium and ask - would she have these same choices if she had access to quality child-care, job counseling and skills training, mentoring, out-patient drug prevention - whatever other resources people like her might need. Sure it costs money - but non-violent offender incarceration costs a great deal too. In the long run a great deal more, I think.
33
Truth, the more nuanced argument is always the one that gets drowned out. You are exactly right though.
1
Well, of course as women have become more present and active in places outside of the home, they've also had more run-ins with the police.
In the end though, this all goes back to our for-profit system of mass incarceration.
In the end though, this all goes back to our for-profit system of mass incarceration.
12
Doesn't it all go back to people committing a lot of crime? I don't think the for-profit prison "system" made her shoplift at least 10 times.
15
Read the whole article again. You focused on one thing and missed the main point.
1
Going a step further back, doesn't it have to do with the conditions that create criminal behavior? I.E. lack of opportunity in impoverished communities? Lack of resources in schools in impoverished communities? Lack of funding for drug and alcohol treatment in impoverished communities? Those are all things that lead to high crime rates...
5
Well what would you expect. Obama is busy commuting men felon sentences. The women will catch up as soon as Obama decides to start letting female felons out. I guess thewomen have not proven in most cases that they are as quick to kill people as men.
4
Did you read the article at all? The increases preceded President Obama's administration.
Your comment was completely inappropriate, a perfect example of an uninformed commenter making a biased political comment of no merit. Read the article. It might keep an uninformed person like you from ending up in jail some day.
Your comment was completely inappropriate, a perfect example of an uninformed commenter making a biased political comment of no merit. Read the article. It might keep an uninformed person like you from ending up in jail some day.
7
Thank you, Carol; your comment is spot on!
Feminism has pushed women away from regarding men as caregivers in the name of equality. The consequences of this are clear: women take to crime as a result and more land up in jail. Solution: Think complementarity between men and women and do not reflexively turn your feminist noses up at men leading families. Alas, when will the unintended consequences of feminism become apparent to society? Not as long as the NYT and the other liberal media continue to confuse equality with sameness. More sadness and social dislocation to follow folks, with feminism. Stay tuned and expect the worst.
8
Ah yes. The evil feminists. So it's the women who aren't allowing men to be caregivers so they can have all the child care work for themselves. Yes, that huge group of men who have been caregivers are being pushed out of their role now because of the feminists. Is this a joke or just parroting FoxNews?
10
Over-incarceration is a big problem and for-profit prisons have a big stake in having prison populations stay high. That said, one part of the story here is that rates of incarceration aren't as male heavy as they were in 1970. The 4th paragraph gets this right in as a higher growth rate for women than men, distinct from other parts of the article. The headline and a quote from the story both seem to refer to total people rather than rates:
"Number of Women in Jail Has Grown Far Faster Than That of Men"
'"As the focus on these smaller crimes has increased, women have been swept up into the system to an even greater extent than men,” said Elizabeth Swavola, one of the authors of the Vera report.'
Using the figures in the article, 1970 to 2014:
Women went from 8,000 to 110,000, an increase of 102,000.
Men went from 157,000 to 635,000, an increase of 635,000, or about 6x the increase for women.
"Number of Women in Jail Has Grown Far Faster Than That of Men"
'"As the focus on these smaller crimes has increased, women have been swept up into the system to an even greater extent than men,” said Elizabeth Swavola, one of the authors of the Vera report.'
Using the figures in the article, 1970 to 2014:
Women went from 8,000 to 110,000, an increase of 102,000.
Men went from 157,000 to 635,000, an increase of 635,000, or about 6x the increase for women.
2
Correction: the headline is better than the quote and I flubbed the numbers:
Men went from 149,000 (not 157,000) to 635,000, an increase of 486,000, or about 4.8x the population increase for women.
Men went from 149,000 (not 157,000) to 635,000, an increase of 486,000, or about 4.8x the population increase for women.
oops wrote mine before seeing yours, same conclusion, with more narrative
Women supporting families? On what income?!?! Where did the father go? This is what's called "Parental Abandonment Syndrome" and it's destroying these communities.
32
It is "dads are not necessary" syndrome. Thank feminists.
13
Most middle class, let alone upper class, women do not have five children but welfare class women seem to have no problem with that many. Perhaps this is part of the problem and could be solved with sterilization after one child as a precondition for welfare although the liberals would call it genocidal or racist.
3
Oh please. Society puts no pressure on men to take responsibility for their role as a parent and you want to blame the "feminists". And which feminist said that "dads are not necessary"? Yeah, keep blaming women for men's bad behavior. Maybe think about why you're so eager to dump on women.
1
Equal opportunity.
5
Whoa! We have to get down to the 11th paragraph to find out this woman we are supposed to feel sorry for was caught and convicted 10 times???
Why wasn't that in the lede? Why is the reporter trying to manipulate the readers?
Why wasn't that in the lede? Why is the reporter trying to manipulate the readers?
33
If we keep looking, we usually find what we're looking for.
2
If women commit crimes they will generally deserve jail just like men. There should not be different standards of course.
I have compassion for anyone going through a tough time, but many of these articles are long on the woes of people who make bad choices, and there is usually little relating to personal responsibility. Stealing and other crimes are wrong, it's not a hard concept. And most people (men or women) don't end up in the big house unless they have committed multiple crimes.
Yes there needs to be jobs, but each person has to actually graduate high school at the least to be qualified to get a job if there is one. And any employer has a right to be concerned about the character of an employee.
And why choose to have 5 kids unless can support them. And if you go to jail, of course your kids are going to suffer. But again, who is the one primarily responsible for this sad fact.
I don't have an answer, and I believe society should try to give a helping hand for a year or two to those who have made huge mistakes and show concrete evidence they really are trying to turn things around.
But we don't have the resources as a society to send a check in some form to people forever. The ultimate answer to these painful situations will always be found in the mirror. Accept responsibility and change yourself and don't blame others. If you have that attitude, I believe you'll actually receive help from others. And you'll deserve it.
I have compassion for anyone going through a tough time, but many of these articles are long on the woes of people who make bad choices, and there is usually little relating to personal responsibility. Stealing and other crimes are wrong, it's not a hard concept. And most people (men or women) don't end up in the big house unless they have committed multiple crimes.
Yes there needs to be jobs, but each person has to actually graduate high school at the least to be qualified to get a job if there is one. And any employer has a right to be concerned about the character of an employee.
And why choose to have 5 kids unless can support them. And if you go to jail, of course your kids are going to suffer. But again, who is the one primarily responsible for this sad fact.
I don't have an answer, and I believe society should try to give a helping hand for a year or two to those who have made huge mistakes and show concrete evidence they really are trying to turn things around.
But we don't have the resources as a society to send a check in some form to people forever. The ultimate answer to these painful situations will always be found in the mirror. Accept responsibility and change yourself and don't blame others. If you have that attitude, I believe you'll actually receive help from others. And you'll deserve it.
25
It's easy to preach that others should turn themselves around and pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. But you can't pull yourself up by our own bootstraps if you're barefoot to begin with. Incarceration for nonviolent crimes has a record of doing more harm than good. Can't our creative, smart, resourceful society find a better way?
1
It will be interesting to see the socio-economic breakdown in 5-10 years among the females incarcerated. As we see thoughtful articles about treatment instead of punishment for those from working/ middle class backgrounds caught up in the opioid epidemic, will those same sentiments extend to rural and inner city addicts? Time will tell if the concerns about incarcerating addicts are universal, or another "for me, not thee" endeavor.
4
Hmmmm, they were incarcerating a thief not an addict.
9
Five children and addiction to cocaine do not seem to go together. What have happened to the children?
12
Notice how "she had no money" but was addicted to blow?
10
5 children, no money, addiction to cocaine. 'That' cycle of poverty, no resources, jobs, lack of education...etc. Ms. Martin says. How about some personal responsibility, SHE made some poor choices.
32
"SHE made some poor choices."
NO, she made a lot of very poor choices.
NO, she made a lot of very poor choices.
2
Five children? If you're in a cycle of poverty, with no resources, no jobs, etc., then what are you doing having any children at all, let alone five? Glad the woman finally has finally gotten a job, but she seems to be blaming everyone and everything but herself for the mess her children are now in.
3
This "war on drugs" has been a horrendous failure. It has given us the largest prison population in the western world. It doesn't even make sense as the most prevalent "drug", alcohol, is legal and readily available. Compared to marijuana, alcohol ruins more lives, creates more crime, and kills more people. Yet here we are. Getting caught with pot can lead you to a prison sentence where you can watch alcohol commercials on the television. It make so sense whatsoever.
Our drug policy ruins lives and families and doesn't even help in reducing overall crime. People need help with drug problems, not jail time. Fines and fees should never, based on a person ability to pay, be a reason to incarcerate someone.
And privatizing our penal system is just asking for trouble. When a for profit, private firm runs jails, they have incentives to fill their prison space with our populace. They then negotiate a contract with the governmental agencies that financially penalizes the government if the space in prison is not filled.
Our justice system, from the front line police to the end result, prison, is in crisis and needs leadership from our politicians to reform.
I almost laughed out loud as I typed "leadership from our politicians"!
Our drug policy ruins lives and families and doesn't even help in reducing overall crime. People need help with drug problems, not jail time. Fines and fees should never, based on a person ability to pay, be a reason to incarcerate someone.
And privatizing our penal system is just asking for trouble. When a for profit, private firm runs jails, they have incentives to fill their prison space with our populace. They then negotiate a contract with the governmental agencies that financially penalizes the government if the space in prison is not filled.
Our justice system, from the front line police to the end result, prison, is in crisis and needs leadership from our politicians to reform.
I almost laughed out loud as I typed "leadership from our politicians"!
44
Really? Well drugs and children do not mix. You cannot do drugs and raise children responsibly. Drugs are an all-consuming and selfish driver with focus only on yourself.
This woman did it to herself by stealing for her habit, not stealing to buy food for her kids. Don't try to conflate cocaine and pot, it won't work.
This woman did it to herself by stealing for her habit, not stealing to buy food for her kids. Don't try to conflate cocaine and pot, it won't work.
14
up to 26 percent arrests huh? and 110,000 out of 745,000 in prison, huh? why, that's almost 15 percent of the prison population.
seriously? no one cares that 74 percent of arrests and 85 percent of prisoners are men? we're concerned when the female population hits 15? now it's a crisis?
if 85 percent of the prison population was made up of any other one demographic group than "men" this would be a national emergency. why is not now?
seriously? no one cares that 74 percent of arrests and 85 percent of prisoners are men? we're concerned when the female population hits 15? now it's a crisis?
if 85 percent of the prison population was made up of any other one demographic group than "men" this would be a national emergency. why is not now?
16
It is a national emergency and some people, like the Vera Institute, have been documenting it and trying to change it for years. Instead, we have gotten a huge increase in the jail and prison population, privatized prisons, and small cities (like Ferguson, MO) and rural counties imprisoning people because they are too poor to pay fines, and interest on fines, and court fees these places need to stay in business. These factors apply to men and, as documented here, increasingly to women - - as usual, poor people of color. The fact is that most violent crime in the United States and elsewhere is committed by men. Jail and prison should be places of incarceration for violent offenders (male or female). Other forms of punishment, rehabilitation and remediation should be found for petty offenses, and the war on drugs must end just as Prohibition did.
15
If you shoplift and get caught once you will not go to jail. If you shoplift 5 times, you probably won't go to jail. If you get caught shoplifting 10 times, then you might go to jail. There is a lesson here, somewhere, but I am not smart enough to quite put my finger on it....
45
Then wouldn't it make sense to invest money in constructive re-education and rehabilitation when people are caught on a first offense? We don't know ANYTHING about the background of the woman in this example. For all we know, she may have had nothing but bad example from her own parents. Instead of an approach of punishment and blame, how about some societal problem solving? We can see what her incarceration has led to in the next generation. We spent all that tax money keeping her in jail so that her kids could be left unsupervised. Great policy.
1
I guess the down side to equality is things are becoming equal.
19
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
― George Orwell, Animal Farm
― George Orwell, Animal Farm
10
Unpleasant, but true.
3