In fact women are the fastest growing segment in the prison system. (Deen) The United Nations, addressing the issues of the rising incarceration rate and prisoner treatment, has ratified "eleven statements to be applied to all prisoners
Many women also become pregnant while in prison, "the only way that could happen is through inappropriate interaction with the male guards asking for sexual favors." (Hartz) Once the woman becomes pregnant there is no ticket to freedom handed out so that she may start a new life with her newborn
Specific Issues Faced by Female Prisoners The women who are jailed expect to give up certain rights including their freedom, however they don't expect to "give up their soul." (Ruggiero) Countless numbers of women prisoners are subjected to unimaginable horror
In many areas of the nation female prisons were incarcerated with male inmates. Primarily during the 19th century this was a common occurrence however, by the late 1890's most states had instituted separate inmate facilities for females who were sentenced to be incarcerated (Dodge, 1999)
By the 19th century however, society had evolved to a point that such cruelty and unequal punishment for women who committed crimes was deemed unfair and women began getting sentenced to prison alongside the men. Once females began entering the nation's prison system experts who studied their existence agreed that society viewed female prisoners with more contempt than any other population including male prisoners (Shatell, 2004)