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Melissa, you did a great job covering this. Thanks for making indymedia better.

San Diego Chapter of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP), Speak-out and Demonstration on 14 July 2001 at Las Colinas Women's Detention Facility in Santee, CA

** For more information on anything mentioned in this article
1. See the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP) web site: http://www.prisonactivist.org/ccwp/index.html.
2. Attend a Teach-in on 15 August from 6-9 pm at the World Beat Center in Balboa Park, featuring a film screening (testimony from women prisoners), and discussions by Theresa Azochar, Donna Christopher, and Cherry Mason (sponsored by the San Diego Chapter of the CCWP)
3. Call the San Diego Chapter of the CCWP at 619/475-8227 or 619/231-9340
4. Attend meetings for the San Diego Chapter of the CCWP, held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month at the World Beat Center in Balboa Park. **


The San Diego Chapter of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP) organized a Speak-out and Demonstration on 14 July 2001 at Las Colinas Women's Detention Facility in Santee, CA. It took place on National Prison Protest Day, in solidarity with the National Prison Reform Unity Project, and similar events were held around the country. The rally was attended by individuals from the Old Women's Project, the Libertarian Party, the Peace and Freedom Party, Free Mumia, Free Leonard Peltier, Amnesty International, Biojustice (legal team), UCSD students, and concerned citizens. The tone of the speak-out was somber and reserved, quite befitting in light of the serious issues that were discussed. The goal of the event was to educate visitors and the staff at the facility about the serious problems that characterize the penal system, and to reach the Las Colinas inmates with words of hope and strength.

During the Speak-out, Janice Jordan (one of the coordinators for the San Diego Chapter of the CCWP) and other SD CCWP members spoke several times, and encouraged others to come forward as they felt moved to do so. Other speakers included Cherry Mason, Theresa Azochar, and representatives from the Old Women's Project, the Libertarian Party, Free Mumia, and Free Leonard Peltier. All of the speakers provided multiple examples of how unjust the system is, and the atrocities that occur in prisons. Others at the rally approached passing cars to give them flyers and press releases that explained the central issues. The following is a summary of the major issues that were discussed. Most of the following information was derived from CCWP members' comments during the rally. Other speakers are attributed where appropriate.

Basic Details: 77% of the women in California prisons have been incarcerated for nonviolent offenses. It seems atrocious and inhumane that the penal system would incarcerate such individuals rather than providing alternative sentences (e.g., public service) or community-based rehabilitation. The inmate population has increased rapidly over the last decade. A representative from the Old Women's prison project noted that the number of elderly inmates is growing so quickly that the State of California feels it is necessary to build a "special" facility for these women. Several speakers at the rally voiced the opinion that older women should simply not be in jail. This argument seems rather indisputable. What harm would a 78 year-old releasee do, really? Hasn't enough harm been done to these inmates already? It seems that our society could take steps to prevent the increased incarceration rate, but has failed to do so sufficiently. For example, 71% of incarcerated women have been physically abused before age 18 and 41% have been sexually abused before age18. The majority of the women in jails earn ~ $10,000 per year. If these women had access to abuse counseling, job training programs, and reliable public transportation, many of them would certainly not fall into the penal system. Minorities are also highly over-represented in prisons, especially in the high security solitary confinement cells called the “Secure Housing Units” or SHUs.

Prison Employment: Jordan noted that women inmates are forced to work for as little as $3.50 per week, making things such as clothing for the Gap, and merchandise for Pier 1 Imports. In effect, our prisons have become legalized sweatshops and corporations are taking advantage of this at a disturbing rate. Many businesses have closed some of their factories, where employment conditions followed union standards to move their work into prisons, where such standards are absent. This arrangement gives the penal system little impetus to try and reduce the number of incoming inmates (e.g., prevention programs, alternative sentencing), rehabilitate prisoners, or parole them, because having a steady inmates population guarantees that prison-corporate contracts will be maintained. These women are charged $3.00 to visit the prison doctor for "non emergencies," and pay highly inflated prices for toiletries and feminine hygiene items. Their "salaries" are clearly insufficient for even their most basic needs.

Health Care: It typically takes 1 week for an appointment to open up, even if the inmate is clearly ill. Misdiagnoses are more common than not. For example, women with severely painful injuries are often given no more than an over-the-counter medicine like Tylenol. Furthermore, inmates who have conditions such as high blood pressure or asthma have been denied their prescribed medications, and been given alternate medications that worsen their condition. Health services for women going through menopause are equally inadequate. Inmates with a diagnosed mental illness are similarly mistreated- medications denied, access to professional assistance limited or unavailable.

Sexual Assault: The United States is the only industrialized nation that employs male prison guards in women's prisons. Under such conditions, female inmates stand to become the targets of sexual assault from male guards. For example, inmates are watched by male and female guards while taking showers, dressing, and going to the bathroom. Strip searches are conducted frequently, by both male and female guards. Women who report being sexually harassed or sexually assaulted stand the risk of receiving harsher treatment losing the few "privileges" they have, while the male guards who commit these injustices typically get away clear and free.

Family Visitation: Prisons are typically located in remote areas, outside of public transit lines. The majority of the families of women prisoners are at lower income levels, and may not have cars. thus, family members who wish to visit their loved ones in prison must pay cab fares to travel beyond the end of public transit lines, in addition to paying the cost of the public transit. Theresa Azochar, whose daughter was incarcerated for DEFENDING HERSELF against an abusive partner, mentioned that visitors must make it through a series of ever changing and unreasonable guidelines. For example, at one visitation session, it was announced that no one wearing jeans or the color green would be permitted to enter. Recently, Azochar was denied entry because she was wearing an underwire bra, something that had never been an issue in the 10 years that she had been visiting her daughter. Can you imagine paying half of your weekly salary to take a long trip to visit your loved one in prison, only to be rejected upon arrival? (For details on Theresa Azochar’s case, see the California Coalition for Women Prisoners web site http://www.prisonactivist.org/ccwp/index.html)

Another speaker, an African-American woman named Cherry Mason, told of how her daughter Sonserra was, for unexplained reasons, shot by Border Patrol agents who were allegedly conducting a drug related investigation in the area of University Avenue and 37th Street. Her daughter had been sitting on the curb, minding her own business, and she was taken to an alley and strip-searched. Though no incriminating materials were found on her, she was handed over to Border Patrol Agents. She was shot some time after that. Her mother requested that a police report be filed about the incident, which occurred on 3 February 2000. The police have yet to file any type of report, or provide an explanation of why Sonserra was detained, searched and shot, in spite of repeated requests from Cherry Mason and several other supporters. The San Diego police review board is selected by the police, so it comes as no surprise that situations like this are allowed to persist. (A coalition in National City is gathering support for a proposed ballot proposition that, if passed, would require the institution of an independent police review board. No such measures have been taken in San Diego as of yet.)

These are just a few indications of how penal system is marked by injustice, slated against minorities and those in lower socio-economic groups, and does not seem to be headed towards positive change. Several speakers noted that women who go into prison without a diagnosed mental illness are likely to come out with one, such as severe depression. Compounded with a prison record, this makes it difficult for these women to get jobs, and increases the likelihood that they will return to prison in the future. Azochar noted that prisoners' families typically face similar mental strain, that she has often returned from visits feeling depressed that her daughter must remain in such harsh conditions. The penal system is a business of the worst kind, one that turns against members of its own society instead of assisting them, one that seems to want a steady influx of inmates rather than trying to help them get out and stay out.

If you have found any of these issues to be disturbing, use your freedom to work to change them. For more information on any of these topics, see the California Coalition for Women Prisoners web site http://www.prisonactivist.org/ccwp/index.html. The San Diego Chapter of the CCWP is also holding a Teach-in on 15 August from 6-9 pm at the World Beat Center in Balboa Park, featuring a film screening (testimony from women prisoners), and discussions by Theresa Azochar, Donna Christopher, and Cherry Mason. If you are interested in helping out the San Diego Chapter of the CCWP, please call 619/475-8227 or 619/231-9340. The San Diego Chapter of the CCWP meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month at the World Beat Center in Balboa Park.