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Women of Minority in Prison |
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Women from non-english speaking Backgrounds in Prison
Imprisonment is an isolating, dislocating and frightening experience for any prisoner. For those from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds (NESB) these experiences can be intensified.
Many prisoners from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds have to contend with a racist culture both within and outside the prison, as well as the active discrimination from courts, police and correctional institutions. Despite the prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, gender, marital status, physical disability, religion, political affiliation or national origin in Office of Corrections operational principles, NESB prisoners frequently experience discrimination whilst in prison.
This discrimination takes the form of a lack of specific services for
NESB prisoners, the inability of NESB prisoners to access the services
available to other prisoners, and the often racist and ignorant
attitudes that inform both Office of Correction policy and the
practices of many prison staff. As a result, NESB prisoners can serve
lonelier and more difficult sentences than Anglo prisoners.
This article will only bring up some very general issues regarding NESB
prisoners and will focus specifically on NESB women prisoners. The term
NESB covers an extremely diverse group of people. Within the context of
the prison, NESB people often share many experiences of discrimination
and isolation. However cultural background, gender, sexuality, and
proficiency in English, education, class and age divide the people.
Women Prisoners from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds
In Victoria NESB women prisoners make up approximately 17% of the
female prison population. This 17% includes both Australian residents
and those who are to be deported at the end of their sentences. NESB
women are generally over-represented amongst those prisoners who are on
remand and underrepresented amongst those serving sentences. This
over-representation of NESB women on remand is often caused by
discrimination from police and the courts as well as NESB womens lack
of familiarity with the legal process and their rights.
Some women have served up to eighteen months on remand and have then
been found innocent. There have been several cases where women who are
not Australian residents have stayed in prison for long periods of time
on remand, been found innocent and then deported without compensation.
Life Inside for NESB Women
NESB womens experiences of prison are often of extreme isolation and
deprivation. Many NESB women have complained of racist harassment from
both staff and prisoners. This racism takes many forms form verbal
harassment and ostracism to threatened and actual physical violence.
Many NESB womens religious and cultural practices are ignored or
sometimes even banned in prison. In a New South Wales prison Muslim
women were banned from wearing the hijab (headscarf) as it was said to
pose a security risk. NESB women have faced extreme difficulties when
attempting to observe fast days and prayer requirements. NESB women
frequently complain of being unable to obtain food that they want to
eat or require for their religious needs.
Many NESB women have trouble communicating in English and therefore
experience isolation and frustration. Every woman who goes to prison
must learn a whole new system of terms, rules and regulations.
Obviously, for women who speak little or no English, learning this
system can be extremely difficult if not impossible. Prison culture and
language is based on Anglo Australian cultural norms and vernacular and
thus makes little sense to those not familiar with this dominant
culture. Traditionally correctional policy, or lack thereof, concerning
the specific language needs of many NESB women prisoners has been based
on racist assumptions and extreme ignorance. Until recently it was
common for officers to be told that repeating themselves loudly and
slowly was a solution to misunderstandings that commonly occurred when
giving NESB women instructions.
Correctional institutions have made some provisions from non-English
speakers in the past five years such as the use of the Telephone
Interpreting Service, written translations of some prison procedures
and regulations and training programs for officers. However these
provisions have been tokenistic, poorly administered and rarely
utilised.
Relatively new equipment for three way telephone conversations between
interpreters, prisoners and staff in NSW prisons are rarely used.
Similarly in Victoria the Telephone Interpreter Service is infrequently
used by prison officers at Fairlea. This infrequent use of interpreter
services is not due to a lack of need.
NESB women prisoners do not have the right to utilise an interpreter
when hey feel they need one. It is up tot he individual prison officer
to decide whether a woman needs an interpreter or not. In practice
prison officers rarely decide to use an interpreter. It is often
assumed that women speak English well enough to hold a conversation
they do not need an interpreter. This is often not the case. When some
NESB women experience conflict, pressure and anxiety their English
skills can deteriorate. Thus NESB women are often at an extreme
disadvantage especially in situations, such as parole hearings, where
it is necessary for women to argue their case. Until NESB women have
the right to demand an interpreter when they think it is necessary this
situation is unlikely to improve.
Prison staff often rely on English speaking inmates to interpret for
NESB women or to inform NESB women of frequent rule changes and general
instructions. This leads to frequent and often dangerous
misunderstandings. Misunderstandings can be very serious in situations
where work safety requirements need to be understood or when a
non-English speaking woman needs to communicate with a doctor or
psychologist. While English Speaking and Anglo prisoners do take care
of some NESB women, other NESB women are left out. If a woman is not
catered for in this informal and lackadaisical system, prison staff
often blame the individual woman for being anti-social. When NESB
women are ostracised and disliked by English speaking prisoners it is
often due to racism on the part of other prisoners rather than a fault
of the individual woman. Whatever the reason it should be the
responsibility of correctional institutions to provide effective
services which enable NESB women to communicate.
Many Non English speaking women rarely have the opportunity to speak to
anyone else. Everyday conversation with other inmates is difficult if
not impossible. Non English speaking women who dont have visitors can
go for months without speaking to anyone. This situation frequently
occurs with deportees as their family and friends are overseas and
phone calls are expensive and difficult to make.
Thus many Non English speaking women effectively serve their sentence
in solitary confinement, this environment of deprivation, isolation and
intense loneliness often contributes to serious mental health problems.
Possible Implications of Private Prisons The privatisation of prisons
is likely to further disadvantage NESB women. Under the public prison
system, service provision for NESB women has been frequently cut back
in cost cutting exercises. Under a private prison system, where the
profit imperative is paramount, minority services are likely to be
further cut or completely abolished. The isolated site chosen for
private prisons in Victoria will also disadvantage NESB women. In 1992
the NSW Prisons Task Force found that isolated prison locations
provided a particular barrier to NESB people wanting to visit
prisoners.
Taken from Peoples Justice Alliance Private Prisons Information Action
Kit for Stop the Womens Jail Anti-Prisons Resource Kit Published June
2001 by Justice Action Ph: (02) 9660-9111
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