WOMEN PRISONERS - A CONTEXTUAL FRAMEWORK

As a consequence of ''the war on drugs'' and ''take a bite out of crim e'' policies, the prison population in the United States has increased dramatically. One of the seldom discussed consequences of these polic ies is their impact on women. Between 1980 and 1994 the population of women inmates increased 386% compared to a 214% increase in the male p rison population. The majority of these women are mothers who were liv ing with minor children before being sent to prison. This article prov ides a contextual framework for understanding the issues facing women in prison and their children.