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Women in Prison

By C. Tower, former POW


Illustration by Michael Flowe, POW

A Member of Congress or the Senate can hardly be quoted about drugs now without a heart-rending "They're killing our children" or a straight-faced "This is all about families" finding its way into the story. Yet one result of their mandatory sentencing laws is that more and more women are now doing time.

Seventy-five thousand women are serving prison sentences in the USA, most of them mothers. The number is growing by 9% a year. Most of them are in prison for drug law violations. This is all in the name of protecting families and children, who are of course our future. And when the motherless mature what are we to expect of them? It is easy to imagine, again, our nation's approach to drugs doing more harm than good.

This issue we highlight the injustice of drug war sentencing on women and the collateral cost which their children and loved ones must pay.

Becky Stewart

Ivonne Gonzalez

Wenseslada Reyes

Diana Lopez-Mesa

Lillian Lee

Zulima Buitrago

Maria Herrera

Working to end drug war injustice

Meet the People Behind The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines

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