Towards The Abolition of Women’s Prisons DRAFT

On Saturday, the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls convened Town Hall Forums around the nation.  The National Council’s ultimate goal is to end the incarceration of women and girls.  The restrictive design and oppressive conditions of women’s prisons are not only unnecessary but contribute to the additional trauma experienced by women who are incarcerated.  Separation from children is trauma inducing for the children, parents and other family members.  Privatization of prisons has resulted in less contact for the incarcerated with their support systems.  Prisons charge for telephone calls (although NYC just eliminated payment for domestic calls) and for Skype visits with children.