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Women Prisoners Testify
Courageous women testify on medical and sexual abuse before legislative committee.

In October 2000, 20 women prisoners testified at two days of moving and historic hearings held by California Sen. Richard Polanco's Joint Committee on Prison Construction & Operations. These courageous women spoke of medical and sexual abuse, the difficulties of maintaining relationships with children and the impossibility of receiving adequate medical care if a prisoner speaks no English. Led by these women, family members and former prisoners are speaking up more than ever before about conditions that make re-entry impossible. They are demanding that their loved ones be treated with respect and that their medical needs be met. LSPC is proud to have been instrumental in planning these hearings. We are continuing our work with these family members so that, together with the women inside, we can force the changes that are necessary to slow down the reliance on the punishment industry as a way to solve our society's problems.

Read More:

	"The Ordeal of Female Inmates"
	(San Francisco Chronicle)
	"Female Inmates Beg State Lawmakers for Better Health Care"
	(San Francisco Chronicle)
	"Female inmates suffer from poor medical care, panel told"
	(San Francisco Chronicle)
	"CDC Responds"
	(San Francisco Chronicle)