Differences Between Male And Female Prisons

Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by QCity Editorial Stuff

In prisons today, there are often two separate facilities: one for male prisoners and another for female prisoners. It is important to understand the differences between these two types of facilities because they each house different people who have committed different crimes. There are also many reasons why having separate prisons were initially created, but now it can be seen as a form of discrimination against women in the prison system. 

Prisons are a male-dominated space, but that doesn’t mean they’re not home to female inmates. There are many differences between male and female prisons, which can be difficult for both parties.

The prison system is designed for men who have committed crimes against other people or property. They tend to put more emphasis on rehabilitation over punishment because it’s seen as being less costly in terms of time and resources than incarceration. Women in prison often face additional barriers to reintegration into society such as living with children when they get out, along with higher rates of mental illness and substance abuse disorders due to increased risk factors like sexual victimization and childhood maltreatment.

Comparison Between Male And Female Prisons

Parameters of ComparisonMale PrisonsFemale Prisons
Violent More violent Less violent 
Sexually assaulted More chance Less chance 
Inmates Higher Lower 
Crime More crime Less crime 
Time Men have to spend less time Have to spend more time. 

What Are Male Prisons?

What Are Male Prisons

Male prisons are correctional facilities for males that have been convicted of crimes. These institutions provide housing, food, and training to inmates to help them reintegrate into society upon their release. Although men can be sentenced to serve time in both male and female prisons, the vast majority of prisoners are housed within the system for members of their gender. Male prison sentences typically last from one year up to life imprisonment depending on the crime committed. Male prisons have a history going back hundreds of years as a way to punish lawbreakers who had committed serious offenses against a country or state’s laws. In modern times, several countries such as Cuba and Russia still use this form of punishment despite criticism from human rights groups that argue that these methods violate universal human rights.

The male prison system is a subset of the larger correctional institution in the United States. Male prisons are typically used for those who have committed crimes that require incarceration longer than one year, and they differ from other facilities because they are usually tougher and more crowded.  The U.S has about 1,000 total prisons with approximately 150 of them being designated to house males alone. These prisons often offer various intervention programs such as vocational training to help inmates re-enter society after their release through employment opportunities or volunteer work. Overall there are over 2 million people incarcerated in jails or prisons currently in America today including both female and male populations.

What Are Female Prisons?

What Are Female Prisons

Prison is not an environment that many people would want to be in. As you can imagine, it’s even less pleasant for women who are incarcerated. While men do make up the majority of the prison population, there are still several female inmates as well. In fact, according to a 2013 census by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, there were just over 109 000 prisoners in federal or state prisons across America. Of those numbers approximately 15% were male and 85% were female. The rate at which women have been imprisoned has increased exponentially since 1980 with current rates being twice as high as they once were. This increase has led some experts to believe that more needs to be done for rehabilitation programs aimed at females so incarceration doesn’t become a revolving door.

10 Differences Between Male And Female Prisons

1. Male prisons are more violent and dangerous than female prisons.

2. Men in prison have a higher chance of being sexually assaulted by other inmates or guards.

3. There is a higher percentage of male inmates on death row than female inmates.

4. More men are incarcerated for drug crimes, theft, and assault than women.

5. Female prisoners usually work in the kitchens or laundry rooms while males tend to do landscaping, construction, and maintenance around the facility.

6. Inmates who commit sexual violence against other prisoners will be placed into solitary confinement as punishment.

7. Male inmates are more likely to be convicted of violent crimes.

8. Female inmates are more likely to have committed non-violent offenses, such as fraud or drug abuse.

9. Men tend to spend less time in prison than women do.

10. Women are more likely to be released on parole due to their shorter sentence length. 

Interesting Statistics Or Facts Of Male Prisons

1. Males represent approximately 98% of all prisoners.

2. The number of incarcerated males is much higher than that of females because men are more likely to commit violent crimes and women are less likely to be imprisoned for a drug offense.

3. The average sentence length for a male prisoner is 3 years longer than that of a female prisoner.

4. Males make up the majority of those in jail, at an estimated 95%.

5. Inmates who identify as transgender or transsexual account for only about 1/10th of one percent (.001).

6. Prisoners with mental health issues often do not receive adequate treatment which can lead to anger management problems as well as suicidal thoughts and tendencies.

Interesting Statistics Or Facts Of Female Prisons

1. Women in prison are more likely to be incarcerated for drug-related offenses than men.

2. The majority of women in prison have been victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.

3. Female inmates are less likely to receive mental health treatment and medical care than male inmates.

4. More female prisoners were convicted of property crimes than any other type. 

5. In 2016, the number of women incarcerated was higher than ever before at nearly 200,000.

6. One out of every three black women is expected to spend time in prison during their lifetime.

Conclusion About The Differences Between Male And Female Prisons

The environment of the prison is not only a reflection of how society views and treats women, but also shapes perceptions about gender. It follows that changes in attitudes toward female prisoners will likely lead to different experiences for both male and female inmates. The differences between male and female prisons are vast – from medical care to visitation rights. If you want more information on this topic or need help with your marketing plan, let us know! Our team has experience working with organizations that have been impacted by these issues firsthand. We would be happy to partner up with you if you’re interested in learning more about our services or looking for somebody else’s perspective on what it means to be incarcerated as a woman today. 

References:

Resource 01: https://www.cor.pa.gov/Facilities/StatePrisons/Pages/default.aspx
Resource 02: https://www.npr.org/2018/10/15/647874342/in-prison-discipline-comes-down-hardest-on-women

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