Is 'health for all' really health for all? Incarceration & healthcare challenges for women.
A newsletter from Women Beyond Walls - together we can build collective power and amplify voices to end the over-incarceration of women and girls worldwide.
Greetings friends,
Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to this newsletter and who has shared exciting new things going on in your part of the world, we love hearing about the solutions and innovations that exist focused on ending the over-incarceration of women and girls. We value your support immensely.
Is ‘health for all’ really health for all?
Earlier this month, the World Health Organization observed its 75th Anniversary and World Health Day with the theme ‘Health for All’.
The world has faced unprecedented public health challenges in the past few years, the need for increased inclusivity in building a healthier future for all is more evident than ever. The right to health is a basic human right so it’s absolutely critical that ‘Health for All’ considers women who are incarcerated as well.
The modern day incarceration system was designed primarily for men, leaving many facilities unprepared to meet the unique biological and psychological health needs of women. Prisons often lack healthcare providers that are specifically trained in obstetrics and gynaecology, which leads to insufficient health screenings and failings in reproductive healthcare. Incarcerated women also have a disproportionately high rates of poor mental health.
If you want to learn more about the health challenges facing women in prisons and more about the movements trying to change the status quo then these articles in the Journal of Women’s Health, University of Michigan, and the National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women are extremely informative and worth the read.
News from around world
Colombia: The first-ever International Convening of Formerly Incarcerated Women, will take place from 2 - 4 May 2023 in Bogota, Colombia. Formerly incarcerated women from more than 25 countries around the world have joined together in a new network to: build global solidarity; support women leaving prison; and elevate the voices, experiences and ideas of formerly incarcerated women. Over the past two years, they have been meeting virtually. This will be the first opportunity to come together in person; approximately 60 women from some 20 countries representing 5 continents (Asia, South America, North America and Oceania) will participate. We’ll feature more information from this important event in our May newsletter.
United States: A bill, dubbed “Ava’s Law” is moving forward in the Florida House and would allow pregnant women the opportunity to defer their sentencing until up to three months after the baby is born to improve maternal and infant outcomes. Women will also have access to pregnancy tests if they have been detailed for more than 72 hours. This has come about in response to the death of a baby born in a county jail last year.
UK: A new report from HMI Prisons found that two thirds of women (66%) were unlocked from their cells for less than two hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Keeping women in their cells for up to 22 hours a day negatively impacts both their mental and physical health.
The Observer reported that women in prison have a seven-times higher probability of suffering a stillbirth than those in the general population and babies born in prison are two times as likely to be admitted to a neonatal unit. If you would like to act on this, check out the Birth Companion campaign in the section below!
Malaysia: Malaysia abolished the mandatory death penalty and natural-life prison sentences. For background, listen to our podcast with lawyer Samantha Chong where she speaks about how her work with incarcerated women changed her views about the death penalty and the criminal justice system in Malaysia.
Campaigns
Birth Companions, and several other organisations, are continuing a campaign to end pregnant women being sent to prison in the UK. On Mother’s Day in the UK, they held a protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice to sing nursery rhymes and keep up the public and media attention on the issue.
Sandra Hemme has spent the last 42 years in prison for a crime she didn't commit, making her the (known) longest-serving wrongly convicted woman in the US. In late February 2023, based on compelling new evidence, Ms. Hemme’s attorneys have filed a petition for habeas relief. This new evidence was withheld by the State for decades and pointed to a police officer as the person who committed the crime. Add your name to Ms. Hemme’s fight for freedom via this campaign.
Opportunities
Hibiscus, an organisation in the UK that supports migrant women trapped in the immigration and criminal justice systems, is looking for a new Chief Executive Officer. Deadline to apply is 8 May 2023.
APPEAL, an organisation in the UK defending the rights of people who have been mistreated at the hands of the criminal justice system, is looking for a Co-Executive Director. Deadline to apply is 30 April 2023.
Lincoln College, Oxford, UK is holding a temporary art exhibition from 7 - 8 May showcasing the works of talented men and women on death row around the world, as well as international artists and exonerees.
Sisters Inside are holding their 10th International Conference - Abolition, Feminism, Now - from 8 - 10 November 2023. Early bird ticket registration is available now.
Media and literature recommendations
To continue in the spirit of the theme of World Health Day, we’re current reading ‘The Prison Doctor: Women Inside’ by Dr Amanda Brown. The book documents Dr Brown’s experiences treating inmates in the UK’s most infamous prisons, including Europe’s largest women-only prison, Bronzefield. This memoir provides amazing perspectives of the specific health challenges faced by women in prison.
We have created a book recommendations list on our website that we will keep up to date with some great reads if you want to find out more about ending the over-incarceration of women and girls worldwide.
Thank you to Red Magazine for featuring our work as part of their series on inspiring women who are pushing for positive change. We hope this recognition shines more light on the issue of the over-incarceration of women and girls and the important women being done by members of this community.
If you haven’t checked out Women Beyond Walls’ podcast, make sure to listen to our first series featuring inspiring stories and individuals.
Thank you for being a part of the Women Beyond Walls community. If you have any events/resources/reports you want us to consider highlighting in future newsletters don’t hesitate to contact us on hello@womenbeyondwalls.org.
The Women Beyond Walls Team