Life in Prison

Security clearance

There are three types of women's prison holdings: adult, juvenile, and "Mother and Baby" units for new mothers and heavily pregnant women.

Prisoners are divided by security clearance based on their risk of causing harm (to themselves and others) , their likeliness to attempt an escape, and severity of their crime. The worst offenses (murder, etc.) are classified as Restricted Status; those who are likely to attempt an escape, or who may pose a threat in open prison conditions are Closed Status; those who are neither a physical or an escape risk are Open Status and enjoy open prison privileges.

Most non-violent, short-sentence, and/or first-time prisoners have Open Status clearance. For longer sentences (more than two years), your security clearance is regularly reevaluated, and you may be transferred to a prison with a lower security clearance accordingly.

Day to Day Life

Your schedule in prison is strictly regimented, even as an Open Status prisoner. A likely schedule includes 7:30am wakeup, 8:00am work call, 12:00pm lunch, 1:30pm afternoon activity, 5:30pm dinner (Lorraine mentions this, p. 12), and 7:15pm evening lock-up.

In a woman's prison, you will be able to wear your own clothes regardless of security clearance. These clothes were brought with you when you arrived. You may also have some of your own possessions with you in prison, including books, electronics, cigarettes, and religious items. These must be stored in one of two boxes within your cell. If you want to purchase additional items, they must be bought at the prison's canteen. Your spending limit is determined by your security category and the amount of funds on your account. All moneys are handled by the prison.

You will likely be assigned a job, unless you are pursuing full-time education. You can note a first-choice preference, but there is no guarantee of getting it.

Within your schedule, you are guaranteed at least 30 minutes of open air time; however, that can be confiscated or postponed due to weather or behavioral concerns.

If you were a drug user, the prison staff will emphasize the importance of getting clean while in prison. You may be subjected to Voluntary Drug Testing to maintain 'good behavior' status, as well as occasional Mandatory Drug Testing at random.

Who goes away?

If you are in prison, it is likely that you:

Have experienced domestic violence
Have experienced physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
Have a mental illness
Have attempted (or will attempt) suicide
Committed your crime to support someone else's drug use

Further, ~11% of women prisoners are foreign nationals (mainly Polish and Irish), and another 12% are Black or Black-British.