From Prison Journalism Project :
It truly is a man’s world, even in a women’s prison.
In an environment where nothing is private, even the most basic aspects of personal care become luxuries. For incarcerated women, managing a menstrual cycle is not just a routine part of life — it is often a monumental struggle.
I have been incarcerated for 15 years. The last three have been spent at Dr. Eddie Warrior Correctional Center, a minimum security prison in Oklahoma. Here, I have rarely observed staff show empathy or provide accommodations to women having fatigue, cramps, mood swings or pain connected to their period. We are not allowed to take days off from work to rest, and we must adhere to a strict daily schedule in which virtually all of our movement is controlled.
here were 2,220 women incarcerated in Oklahoma as of September 2024, according to a report from the state Department of Corrections. A report from the health policy research group KFF found that Oklahoma’s incarceration rate is double the U.S. average for women. According to 2023 reporting from Time magazine, about 90% of the 170,000 people in U.S. women’s prisons are younger than 55. Tens of thousands of women menstruate in prisons across the country. Continue reading >>>
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