Wednesday, August 17, 2011

What explains the increase in women prisoners in the US?

On the next Your Call, we'll talk about why there are so many women behind bars today. A documentary film now in theaters, called Crime After Crime, shows one woman--Deborah Peagler--in her journey through a broken criminal justice system. Women today are incarcerated at 11 times the rate they were in 1977. What kind of policy reform could change this trend? Join us at 10 or email feedback@yourcallradio.org. How do poverty, abuse, and drugs factor into the imprisonment of women? Is it time to reform sentencing laws? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Joshua Safran, attorney for Deborah Peagler, featured in film, Crime After Crime

Deirdre Wilson, program director for the California Coalition of Women Prisoners

Bea Smith, former prisoner and friend of Deborah Peagler

Click to Listen: What explains the increase in women prisoners in the US?