conversations around reforming the

criminal justice system often don't

include women who are behind bars but

reports show they face increasing

hardships while incarcerated and after

they're released in the last 30 years

the rate of female imprisonment has

grown twice as high as that of men as

Michael hill reports making it all the

harder for those chasing the dream I

thought no I can get a job with my

background or get on my feet why am I

going to stay it was very discouraging

at first

that's what convicted Robert Dell marché

Alan thought weeks before her release

from prison and serving her mandatory

three years or maxing out and before the

Volunteers of America came knocking with

this safe return program and plans to

help Alan get her driver's license

housing a job in other necessities and

services I came out and they stuck money

we're 100% under way

Alan is one of the fortunate women

leaving incarceration to have the

state-funded safe return in her corner

among them child care who's been caring

for the minor children who lived with

60% of the women in prison

mothers could lose custody their

children can wind up in foster care

advocates say if those re-entering

mothers get a job in housing and want

their children back there could be hit

with Owen child support from the day

they leave prison another issue a stigma

from their own families we've collected

data for years about family involvement

and we see a higher rate of family

involvement for all of the men that we

serve than we do for the women and we

went back to the women and asked them

you know what do you tribute this to and

from their words what they said is it's

a lot less acceptable for women to go to

prison than it is for men

Lydia Thornton served four plus years

for theft by deception and forgery she

says another hindrance for women

re-entering society is housing as women

we are probably more easily victimized

in looking for somewhere to just sleep

Prison Reform has led to a decrease in

men behind bars not so much for women in

the u.s. thanks to drug and property

crimes the Sentencing Project says the

rate of growth for

and prison has been twice as high as

that of men since 1980 and it credits

more expensive law enforcement efforts

stiffer drug sentencing laws and

post-conviction barriers to re-entry

that uniquely affect women the female

prison population it says stands nearly

eight times higher than in 1980 you know

I was the first time felon

yanira elbow money who is a construction

work and truck driver now served all

three years for possession with intent

to sell heroin in the mid 1990s I was

quite bitter about the fact that being

the first time felon for a fourth degree

drug offense you know sending me to

prison wasn't gonna help me at all

bomani founded an organization that

advocates for better conditions for

women behind bars and for better

policies and laws outside of prison she

says she supports Assemblywoman Yvonne

Lopez's bill dignity for incarcerated

primary caretaker parents Act it would

provide parenting classes to inmates and

create an overnight pilot program for

inmates and their children among other

things Lopez says the bill seeks to

restore the rights of incarcerated men

and women in connecting with their

children and in accessing basic rights

while incarcerated not the one I'm

pushing I I'm for it obviously Thorton

who writes for several advocacy

publications to improve conditions and

reentering is among those who testified

about legislation to reform

Edna Mahan because you've created a

culture there where it's okay Thorton

says it's gratifying when prison guard

received a 16 year sentence for his

crime and will have to register as a sex

offender for life progress yes she says

but prevention and protection would be

better in and outside of prison Michael

Hill njtv news

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