Social Bias Between Male And Female Inmates Within The Prison System - Research Paper Example

Social Bias Between Male And Female Inmates Within The Prison System Abstract: The following paper deals with some of the pervasive societal stereotypes and biases that exist with regards to the key differences between male and female inmate populations. Accordingly, some of these key differences are noted and researched as a means of determining the overall level of reliability that such biases are born from. Finally, judging from the information that has been analyzed, the author states some of the key changes that should be effected as a means to allow the prison system to more adequately address the specific needs of both genders rather than merely addressing what has been termed the lowest common denominator. Before one delves directly into attempting to understand the levels of both systemic and societal biases that affect the treatment differentials of both male and female inmates, it is necessary to consider many of the motivating factors and gender specific traits that tend to exacerbate such feelings of bias. Accordingly, this paper will analyze some of the key differences in how the prison population of both genders is viewed and work backwards to understand some of the motivating factors for this differentiation in interpretation. Likewise, the paper will seek to put forward new models of interpretation and understanding of these unique populations as a means to better engage the shareholders in the ultimate goal that the correctional institution is intended to espouse; that of rehabilitation. The first of these biases is of course built upon the premise that societal interpretations of the differentials that exist between male and female inmates naturally lend themselves to the female inmates being more manageable and more amenable to being rehabilitated. Such an interpretation shows a supreme lack of understanding with relation to the actual situation that unfolds within countless women’s prisons around the nation. Although it is difficult to handle such an issue without employing at least some level of stereotyping, this author will attempt to point to verifiable and demonstrable proof within the system as a whole as a means to dispel the aforementioned myth. Society has created a bias and misinterpretation regarding the overall “ease” of rehabilitation that the female inmate population engenders as opposed to their male counterparts. This bias is born partly out of the societal, and overly traditional, misinterpretation of the sexes that claim that women are more docile and men are more intractable and prone to open defiance. Through a review of the literature with relation to this stereotype, it is demonstrably proven that such is most certainly not the case (Wolf et al 2006). Although key differences doubtless exist between the sexes, the fact of the matter is that the ways in which such has been presented within society is far from the actuality that exists within the system as a whole. Studies as well as individual shareholders have noted that the truth of the matter is quite different. Whereas women are traditionally seen within societally contrived gender roles as more compliant and more amenable to being told what to do, shareholders who have managed both male and female inmates have noted that male inmates, although more violent, are much easier to manage and can be far more compliant than their female counterparts. Such an understanding of the differentials between the biases that exist within society and the actuality that exhibits itself within the prison system is the result of the fact that men tend to externalize their anger, frustration, and aggression. This externalization creates two distinct and noticeable side effects (Cloyes et al 2010). Firstly, the level of violence that is indicative of men in the prison system far outweighs the level of violence that is experienced within female populations of inmates. Similarly, once this aggression is exhibited, the tension is released and the male population is more readily instructed as to what actions should be taken and in what ways proper behavior should be noted. Quite dissimilarly, shareholders within the women’s prison population have noted that women tend to internalize their anger and this causes a host of negative implications for rehabilitation, health of the prison community, and the overall environment that is exhibited within the prison. Moreover, this internalization of stress can cause the women under the state’s supervision to engage in self-harm, burning, or mutilation as a way of seeking release from the pressures that they have begun to take upon themselves as a function of the experience of incarceration. Although it is foolish to advocate a higher level of mental health specialist for one gender over another, it is the recommendation of this author that both genders should be more closely monitored as a function of providing them with the care and supervision that qualified psychiatric care specialists can provide. Although the issue of sexual violence is a pervasive threat within the correctional institutions that exist around the globe, the rate and prevalence of sexual assault as understood by the general public is one in which nearly all sexual assaults take place within male correctional facilities instigated by fellow inmates; however, as with the other stereotypes that have thus far been discussed, this could not be further from the truth. Whereas mean make up over 90% of all individuals incarcerated, women account for 2.2% of all sexual assaults while incarcerated (Willingham 2011). This figure is nearly 4 times the rate of sexual assault that their male counterparts experience at a mere 4%. Although both of these figures are statistically low, the rate of occurrence is inexcusable and represents some of the key gender biases that exist within society as a function of understanding prison sexual assault. It is also important to note that due to the unspoken nature of the sexual assault that occurs against both men and women, society is uncomfortable with discussing the actualities that exist both within the system as a function of other inmates as well as the role that prison guards and workers have within this situation (Buchanan 2012). Moreover, the fact of the matter is that due to the high prevalence of rape and sexual assault that takes place within the prison system, it is necessary for administrators to take a fundamentally new approach as to how they intend on ameliorating such an issue while being mindful of the key challenges that both male and female prison populations naturally ascribe to the situation. However, these key differences, beyond being able to grapple with existing stereotypes and disarm them, help the reader to understand that a different approach is necessitated beyond merely providing one gender with a softer approach to incarceration. As has been demonstrated, the issues surrounding male and female treatment within the correctional institution are far more nuanced than a simple realignment of treatment could hope to effect. Moreover, due to the fundamental gender differences that exist, it is foolish to claim that a one size fits all approach would be amenable to solving the problem. Although this paper has listed a number of ways in which current biases exist with relation to the male and female prison populations in and around the United States, the single largest impediment towards affecting a higher level of rehabilitation is for prison officials and administrators/shareholders to engage with the unique challenges and opportunities that these different genders portray. As a means to leverage these differences to further rehabilitate the prisoner, the shareholders within the process must be able to effectively minister to the needs of both the gender represented as well as the unique personal needs that the incarcerated individual has. Although a host of negative attributes exist within both genders and the overall understandings of how these traits are displayed, it is incumbent upon these shareholders to put away pre-conceived notions, biases, and ill derived stereotypes concerning inmate populations. Finally, it is necessary to note that due to the pervasive nature of the way in which society grasps these biases, it will be necessary for ultimate change within the system to be generated from the inside out rather than from the outside in. Due to the fact that the pervasive stereotypes of gender differentials that exist within the community and society at large, awaiting a change in this as a means to further benefit the inmate would be an impossibly long process. References Buchanan, K. (2012). Engendering Rape. UCLA Law Review, 59(6), 1630-1688. Cloyes, K., Wong, B., Latimer, S., & Abarca, J. (2010). Women, serious mental illness and recidivism: a gender-based analysis of recidivism risk for women with SMI released from prison. Journal Of Forensic Nursing, 6(1), 3-14. doi:10.1111/j.1939-3938.2009.01060.x Willingham, B. C. (2011). Black Women's Prison Narratives and the Intersection of Race, Gender, and Sexuality in US Prisons. Critical Survey, 23(3), 55-66. doi:10.3167/cs.2011.230305 Wolff N; Blitz CL; Shi J; Bachman R; Siegel, J. (2006). Sexual violence inside prisons: rates of victimization. Journal Of Urban Health: Bulletin Of The New York Academy Of Medicine, 83(5), 835-848. Read More