re also not ranked on ‘threat-level’ and women may be placed in a cell with very mentally unwell women and this can be an ‘exceptionally frightening experience and one that they are often very unprepared for’ (Corston, 2007: 32).
Power, autonomy and control was a subject which Ben Crewe (2017) specifically addresses in his work on female incarceration, which is why this dissertation included this section as helps understand the gender-neutrality of the criminal justice system and how this impacts women directly. Whilst some may agree that the point of prison is to eradicate access to the outside world and autonomy, this dissertation argues how this affects women more than men.
Life after Prison
Whilst the focus of this dissertation is on women in prison, it is important to consider the impacts prison life has after their release, as there are also significant differences between men and women. Women are more likely to hold short-term sentences compared to men (PRT, 2017) due to the nature of their offences for example petty theft. However, short custodial sentences lead to higher rates of re-offending, 61% of women who served 12 months or less of a sentence end up re-offending (PRT, 2017). This could be due to 60% of women who lose their homes and possessions because of prison and are left without accommodation, therefore many women cannot apply for jobs or benefits for themselves and their children (PFT, 2017). Furthermore, the statistics show that in contrast, only 8.5% of men do not have a job upon release from prison (PRT, 2017), compared to 26% of women.
The dual stigma of mental health and an offending history makes it very difficult for prisoners to find a job upon release. Mental illness and drug and alcohol dependency are conditions which disproportionately affect women. Research has shown that women who experience over two forms of mental illnesses find it difficult to access rehabilitation courses and are unable to complete their training (PRT, 2015). Furthermore, as Corston (2007) has researched, many women who enter the criminal justice system often have learning disabilities and already suffer from poor mental health and this often correlates with lack of work experience and basic life skills (Corston, 2007). Prison Reform Trust reports that ‘access to banking for prisoners pre-release is one of the foundations of successful resettlement’ and ‘work promotes recovery from mental illness and desistance from crime’ (PRT, 2015: 3).
To conclude, there are a number of variables which clearly have a more profound impact on women who are and have been incarcerated than men. In reflection of this, it is clear that there is not sufficient evidence that suggests the current prison service is supporting women’s needs, and this is evident in recent statistics which sh