Incarcerated Women: Cancer in Prison
Facing breast cancer is scary enough, but learning you have cancer while incarcerated comes with its own set of problems. Pamela Lorenz, an inmate in the Washington Correctional Center for women, found the lack of support groups and privacy as the most challenging parts of facing breast cancer in prison. She shares her story with KBCS’s Yuko Kodama.
Photo by WCCW and Yuko Kodama
Producers Yuko Kodama and Ruth Bly
Incarcerated Women: Impact on the Community
The KBCS series on Incarcerated Women takes a look at the impact of the prison system on local communities as KBCS’s Yuko Kodama speaks with Shontina Vernon, a local artist who was formerly incarcerated in Texas, at age 10.
Incarcerated Women: Pregnant Behind Bars
Being pregnant is a vulnerable time for a woman. But Imagine the thought of going into labor while incarcerated and the thought of handing your newborn over to the foster care system? Abigail Blue is the former executive director of The Birth Attendants: Prison Doula Project, which closed over 5 years ago, saw the plight of incarcerated pregnant women on a daily basis. During Washington state’s last legislative session, Governor Inslee signed a bill allowing volunteer midwives and doulas to be able to give incarcerated women pre-birth counseling and help them prepare for the temporary loss of their child. The bill takes effect June 7th, 2018.
Incarcerated Women: Giving Birth in Prison
Margerita Guzman is an inmate at Washington Correctional Center for Women in Gig Harbor who became locked up while pregnant. She shares her experience of giving birth behind bars and highlights issues mothers face while in the prison system with KBCS’s Yuko Kodama.
Producers Yuko Kodama and Ruth Bly
Incarcerated Women
KBCS begins a new weekly series on Incarcerated Women.
The United States incarcerates more of its citizens than any other country in the world. Of the over 740,000 people incarcerated in the United States, well over 200,000 are women. The effects on families, communities and taxpayers is pronounced. Over the next months KBCS takes a look at the impacts of locking up the women on our community.