Social justice, gender justice, justice for all: why women's incarceration is a social justice issue + urgent Haiti appeal + global news and opportunities.
February 2024 newsletter from Women Beyond Walls - together we can build collective power and amplify voices to end the over-incarceration of women and girls worldwide.
Dear Friends,
The World Day of Social Justice took place on 20 February 2024, did you mark it?
The day was set up by the UN to: emphasise the importance of integrating social justice into national and international policies; promote decent work; fair globalisation; and to encourage social dialogue to address labour insecurity, inequality, and social contract challenges. At Women Beyond Walls the theme of social justice is one we think is crucial in understanding the gendered issue of incarceration, which disproportionately affects women. Women’s incarceration can be both the result of, and lead to, gendered social injustices.
Women's incarceration has risen dramatically, increasing by 60% since 2000, compared to a 22% increase for men. This increase has led to over 100,000 more women being incarcerated over the last decade. The factors contributing to this rise are deeply intertwined with gender-specific issues such as gender-based violence, poverty, and discriminatory laws. These statistics reveal the urgent need for the criminal justice system and social justice efforts to address the unique circumstances and vulnerabilities faced by women. The over-incarceration of women and girls is not only a matter of criminal justice but also of social justice, requiring increased visibility, transparency, and reform efforts to tackle the drivers and outcomes of this trend.
Despite the significant impact of incarceration on women, their needs and experiences often remain invisible in key thematic action areas, including those focused on gender-based violence and economic justice and rights. Visit our website to find out more on why we think that to achieve true social justice, it's imperative that policies and reforms not only address the immediate needs of incarcerated women but also tackle the underlying systemic issues that lead to their over-incarceration. This includes providing support for organisations working with impacted women and girls, ensuring funding for these efforts, and prioritising women's incarceration as a key issue in social justice and gender equality forums. By focusing on these areas, we can work towards a more equitable and just society where the rights and needs of all women, including those who are incarcerated, are recognised and addressed
News from around the world
Australia: Australia is incarcerating more people in pre-trial detention due to the housing crisis, experts say, after new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that the total number of people in jail who are awaiting sentencing had almost doubled in the last decade. A 2023 report by the Sydney Morning Herald found that New South Wales’ bail laws disproportionately affect Indigenous Australians, the homeless and women.
England and Wales: In a concerning report, The long wait: A thematic review of delays in the transfer of mentally unwell prisoners, the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons found that fewer than 15% of patients were transferred from prison to a mental health hospital care unit within 28 days. “I will always remember the deep shock of walking into a unit in Eastwood Park, where acutely mentally unwell women were being held in appalling conditions with bloodstains on the floor and scratch marks on the walls; evidence of the levels of distress of the women being held there. I was also hugely concerned by the effect trying to care for these highly distressed women was likely to be having on staff – prison officers with little or no training in mental health”
Haiti: Women, formerly housed in Haiti’s only women’s prison Cabaret, are now living in extremely challenging conditions as the country continues to be caught up in political upheaval, riots and gang violence. Following a fire and looting at the prison earlier this month, a local group supporting the women’s needs have appealed for help.
While the Haitian women were moved from Cabaret Prison in June when violence in Haiti was escalating, they had to leave belongings behind - most of which are now assumed to have been burnt or stolen in the February 2024 fire. Around 50 women are living in one cramped room in a facility without decent sanitation and with no resources for their care. OFKONVA, an organisation in HaitI that mobilises support for women in prison, has said that the women urgently need help to access basics like clean water, toilet paper, sanitary towels, clothing and other hygiene products. The majority of the women who make up OFKONVA themselves have experience of being incarcerated in Haiti and are well placed to understand the needs and mobilise the funds raised. One woman said:
“Because we were in prison, we know how they suffer. If we ask for help, we do it with all our hearts.”
Individuals from Women Beyond Walls and the International Network of Formerly Incarcerated Women (INFIW) have come together to raise money through this GoFundMe appeal because we believe the women’s needs are exceptional at this time. We are aiming to raise enough money to support the basic needs of approximately 50 incarcerated women and will be used to provide toilet paper, sanitary products, clothing, water and other self-care items.
The Women Beyond Walls and INFIW communities have come together at this time because women who are so often invisibilised are now doubly disadvantaged by what is going on in Haiti. While these small goods will not change the situation they will provide some dignity and relief for the women while they continue to live in very distressing conditions.
We would appreciate any money you are able to give and will report back on how it is used as soon as we are able to. Thank you in advance for your care.
We will close the appeal on 28 February 2024.
Japan: During a parliamentary session, Japan’s Justice Minister Ryuji Koizumi said that between 2014 and 2022, the Justice Ministry found six violations of a 2014 directive effectively banning all penal institutions from using restraints on imprisoned pregnant women inside delivery rooms. Last November, Human Rights Watch published accounts of formerly imprisoned women who described such violations happening to other women in prison.
United Kingdom: The UK government is planning to pass new laws that would criminalise homelessness. People sleeping on the streets could face a fine of up to £2500. Poor or lack of housing is a pervasive issue that impacts women affected by the criminal justice system. You can support Crisis’ campaign against these laws by writing to your MP.
Zambia: In February, Tithandizane Comfort Home (an INFIW member) launched a training for 12 formerly incarcerated women which included computer literacy, entrepreneurship and poultry farming. At the end of the training, participants received seed grants to support their businesses.
Zimbabwe:Zimbabwe’s cabinet has approved a bill that, if passed by parliament, will abolish the death penalty. Member of Parliament Edwin Mushoriwa introduced a private members bill in 2023 – the Death Penalty Abolition Bill – to amend Zimbabwe’s Criminal Law Code and the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act to abolish the death penalty. Nationwide consultations across the country’s 10 provinces have shown that “the majority of our people want the death penalty to be abolished,” he said recently.
Global: On 5 February 2024 the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva held a discussion on drug policy and human rights. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued a statement calling for a move away from punitive approaches and for more use of alternatives to incarceration.
Opportunities
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will take place in New York from 11 March 2024. Last year, we coordinated an Open Letter highlighting how high-level forums on women’s rights need to be inclusive of the rights of all women, including incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women. If you are planning to attend CSW or hold an event, do email hello@womenbeyondwalls.org as we will be collating and highlighting relevant events on our social media platforms.
Mama Cash is inviting applications from self-led feminist organisations and initiatives based in the following regions: Africa, West Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania. The deadline is 17 March 2024.
The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives provides funding for small-scale, high impact projects in more than 120 eligible countries.
Call for inputs on the African Declaration on the Promotion of the Role of Human Rights Defenders and their Protection in Africa - Inputs may be sent by e-mail by 31 March 2024.
Incarcerations Nations Network is looking to create a network for formerly incarcerated students. This network seeks to bring together scholars from around the globe in a series of convenings in which the vision, mission and goals of the network will be collaboratively imagined and then implemented by all partners. They see it as an opportunity for formerly incarcerated university students to connect with like-minded scholars from across the world, lend their voice to powerful change and, if they so choose, be afforded a public platform with which to impact unfair systems. If you are interested, sign up here.
Clean Break are running a workshop on Introduction to Theatre in Criminal Justice Settings on 14 March 2024 and a Rewriting Justice workshop on 21 March 2024 in London, England where participants will learn how to facilitate playwriting in criminal justice settings.
The Sentencing Project, ACLU, HRW and Prison Insider are asking for testimonials about voting in prison. Were you in prison and able to vote in an election during your incarceration? Please contact Prison Insider (contact@prison-insider.com) if you would like to share your experience anonymously.
Media and literature recommendations
We’re currently reading the thought-provoking Radical Acts of Justice: How Ordinary People Are Dismantling Mass Incarceration by Jocelyn Simonson. Looking for a book recommendation or have one to share? Check out our recommended reading list.
Yes, the news you have been waiting for! We are gearing up for a second series of the Women Beyond Walls podcast. Know a great woman we should interview? Let us know! hello@womenbeyondwalls.org.
If you have any events/resources/reports you want us to consider highlighting in future newsletters, please don’t hesitate to contact us on hello@womenbeyondwalls.org.
With gratitude to the community,
The Women Beyond Walls Team