Oral

Women prisoners present specific challenges for correctional authorities and public health practitioners. These needs are often ignored because women are a small proportion of the prison population. Throughout Europe over the past few years, considerable research and aggregated expert opinion has confirmed the extent to which even basic needs of women in prisons are being neglected. The World Health Organization is meeting the challenges through its Health in Prison Project of greater Europe. The Project has adopted a declaration on women in prison which focuses attention on the gender specific need! s of women including substance abuse and mental health treatment, safety from sexual assault and other concerns of humane treatment and also their needs as mothers. Some countries have a particularly effective mother-child program for incarcerated women including the Netherlands. Details of the experiences and needs of women in the US are similar in many ways to those in Europe. With that as groundwork a critique of various efforts can be meaningfully explored.

Session Objectives: 1. Define the two special needs of women prisoners. 2. Describe the ways in which women and their children may benefit from a mother-child prison program. 3. Disclose why are male staff are and should be prohibited under International Convention from guarding women.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)