Incarcerated Women: Fines and Fees
Do financial obligations levied on current and former incarcerated people penalize the poor? A majority of people locked up are either poor or unemployed, prior to incarceration, according to the Prison Policy Initiative’s compilation of data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Fines, fees, and restitution payments pile up for many people leaving prison, making it nearly impossible to find a way out of poverty. KBCS’s Yuko Kodama speaks with Alexes Harris, a University of Washington Sociology Professor who researched monetary sanctions on incarcerated people for her 2016 book, “A Pound of Flesh: Monetary Sanctions as a Punishment for the Poor“. Harris shares her thoughts on inequality and the intersection of poverty and incarceration.
Incarcerated Women: Rehabilitation
What is society currently doing to rehabilitate the incarcerated? 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, at the Washington Correctional Center for Women. She reflects on her experiences working with the incarcerated and the topic of rehabilitation with KBCS’s Yuko Kodama. In this segment, Yuko Kodama also speaks with Shontina Vernon, a local artist who was formerly incarcerated. Vernon shares her view of rehabilitation after she served time as a 10 year old in Texas.
Incarcerated Women: Sustainability In Prisons Project
The Sustainability In Prisons Project is just one of a number of programs available at Washington prisons to offer training and educational opportunities for inmates. You’ll listen to incarcerated women at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor from 2015 describing their work in this program.
Photos by WCCW and Yuko Kodama
- Mini Greenhouse 2) horticulture beds 3) seedlings 4) WCCW grounds 5) Inmate horticulture Program Participant, Buffy Henson 6) Horticulture Program Manager, Ed Tharpe, 7) WCCW beehive 8 & 9) Inmate Apiary Program Participant, Tiffany Williams
Incarcerated Women: Cancer Walks in Prison
Relay for Life is an organization that organizes cancer walks, generating money to fight cancer. This donation fueled operation makes a positive impact on inmates who have choose to organize to fight cancer. Pamela Lorenz, an inmate at the Washington Correction Center for women, participated in such a program while incarcerated and shares her experience with KBCS’s Yuko Kodama.
Incarcerated Women: Prison Food
This KBCS series on Incarcerated Women takes a look at prison food. You’ll hear about how food is prepared at Washington Corrections Center for Women. KBCS’s Yuko Kodama spoke with inmates at Washington Correctional Center for Women about food preparation at the facility.
Incarcerated Women: Meeting Your Prosecuting Attorney After Serving Time
Ever wonder what it would be like meet your prosecuting attorney after leaving prison? Check out this week’s segment of KBCS series on Incarcerated Women as KBCS’s Yuko Kodama speaks with Shontina Vernon, a local artist who was formerly incarcerated. Vernon shares her experience of meeting her prosecuting attorney after she served time as a 10 year old in Texas.
Incarcerated Women: Juvenile Prison
Listen to what it feels like to be a minor behind bars on our KBCS series on Incarcerated Women as KBCS’s Yuko Kodama speaks with Shontina Vernon, a local artist who was formerly incarcerated in Texas, at age 10.
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.
