Prisons - Women
This collection contains materials relating to the specific conditions, challenges and struggles facing women in prison. Topics are varied but materials include conference papers, informational materials, legal perspectives and audio recordings.
Documents
Interview with Karina Epperlein about Women in Prison Film
An interview with Karina Epperlein on her upcoming film about her work with women in prison. The film, Voices From Inside, is based on her work with female prisoners at the Federal Correctional Institute in Pleasanton, California. For two years she worked with groups of 5-12 women using voice and scream therapy in the effort to target core emotions within. The program, Finding Our Voices, tapped into painful feelings, such as the separation of these mothers from their children, with such expression that it inspired Epperlein to write poetry, as in the book Pouring Love into Bones, and the documentary, Voices From Inside. This interview was created in part to advertise for the film’s fundraiser on June 17-19, year unknown, at the Wild Cat Studio in Berkeley, California. Epperlein will be performing with Gwen Jones for Pouring Love into Bones.
Women Prisoners Dublin (1 of 2)
Date: 12/26/1995Call Number: PM 133Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: KPFAProgram: Freedom is a Constant Struggle (Freedom Is A Constant Struggle)Collection: Prisons - Women
Interview with Marilyn Buck, Dylcia Pagan, Ida Robinson, and Linda Evans, by Kiilu Nyasha, at the National Federal Prison of Dublin, California. Discussion about life in prison, being a political prisoner, being a mother in prison, current prison conditions, racism, white supremacy, anti-imperialism, and U. S. foreign and economic policy. Worker’s rights are discussed and how they affect prisoners who work for multi international corporations. Puerto Rico and its struggle to gain independence is discussed by Dylcia Pagan at length. The loss of the extended family for support of prisoners and their children is also spoken about at length.
Women Prisoners Dublin (2 of 2)
Date: 12/26/1995Call Number: PM 134Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: KPFAProgram: Freedom is a Constant Struggle (Freedom Is A Constant Struggle)Collection: Prisons - Women
Interview with Marilyn Buck, Dylcia Pagan, Ida Robinson, and Linda Evans, by Kiilu Nyasha, at the National Federal Prison of Dublin, California. Discussion about life in prison, being a political prisoner, being a mother in prison, current prison conditions, racism, white supremacy, anti-imperialism, and U. S. foreign and economic policy. Worker’s rights are discussed and how they affect prisoners who work for multi international corporations. Puerto Rico and its struggle to gain independence is discussed by Dylcia Pagan at length. The loss of the extended family for support of prisoners and their children is also spoken about at length.
The Woman’s Prison at Santa Rita
Date: 8/18/1967Call Number: PM 140Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Elsa Knight ThompsonCollection: Prisons - Women
Bettina Aptheker Kurzweil, who had just finished serving a 45-day sentence in Santa Rita County jail on charges arising out of her FSM activities, talks with Elsa Knight Thompson. This is an in-depth description of the jail’s physical appearance, daily work schedule, food, the ranking system of the police guards and deputies, the medical facilities and their inadequacies, the economic/ethnic composition of the prisoners, the charges made against the women prisoners and how they are often made worse by the court system, the discrepancies between the women and the men’s prisons, how economic factors effect who goes to this jail, the visiting room and its no child under 14 policy, the library, and the rules. Bettina was pregnant during her time in jail which adds an interesting element to her interview. She also talked about “The Cell” which is the jail’s way of arbitrarily punishing prisoners with solitary confinement. “The Cell” means a minimum of ten days in solitary confinement with no maximum amount declared until the deputy decides it is time for the prisoner to be released. This is a wonderful, genuine, interview that should not be missed.
The Fire Inside
Publisher: California Coalition for Women PrisonersYear: 2013Volume Number: No. 48 Spring-SummerFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Prisons - Women
Newsletter of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners
The Fire Inside
Publisher: California Coalition for Women PrisonersYear: 2012Volume Number: No. 46 Spring-SummerFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Prisons - Women
Newsletter of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners
Women in Prison
Intervew of Women in Prison, Dublin, CA 1995. Political prisoners Dylcia Pagan, Linda Evans, Ida Robinson, and Marilyn Buck are asked to speak about themselves and why they are in prison.
The women also discuss the GATT (General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs), NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), the lack of wages and benefits for the poor and oppressed, and the wrongs of the IMF (International Monetary Fund). Ida Robinson speaks about families of ethnic minorities, and Marilyn Buck speaks about how political prisoners aren’t violent, they are just casualties during the conflict. The women discuss the state of the poor white woman, how is marginalized because no one is fighting for her and she has no representation.
The Fire Inside
Publisher: California Coalition for Women PrisonersYear: 2012Volume Number: No. 47 Fall-WinterFormat: PeriodicalCollection: Prisons - Women
Newsletter of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners
Women in Prison
Call Number: PM 250Format: CassetteProducers: Prison Radio ProjectProgram: BrainstormCollection: Prisons - Women
America's prisons with a particular analysis of women prisons. It includes discussions of prisoner isolation, issues of overcrowding and poor health care, and mental illness. The program provides many statistics on the state of women prisoners and the growth of prisons in the United States.
Emily Harris
Political prisoner Emily Harris reads her statement involving her oppression in the California Institution for Women. In attempt to bring change, the only tool she has left is her own body. In result of the injustices, she went on a hunger strike. In recent history, the jail has conducted appalling medical practices on their female inmates. In result of a hunger strike horrendous medical practices were conducted on Emily Harris with no hesitation. On November 29, the doctors forcefully shoved a feeding tube down her throat. Recent studies have shown that that this could make a person choke to death or puncture the esophagus. The proper way is to feed intravenously. After this dreadful experience she was sent to court in a very sick condition. Eventually, the authorities noticed the actions and fed her intravenously. After this experience, she continued to struggle for basic human rights.
