Blog #15

Women’s prisons historically have differed in many ways from men’s prisons. In the beginning the correction officers were considered Matrons and were hired to supervise women prisoners after outrages of male guard abuses such as in a case where there was a beating one pregnant women to death. According to the course material “In 1820s, states started hiring women to be guards. They were often subjected to worse working conditions than the men. They were on duty 24 hours for 6 and ½ days per week and lived within the prison.” Women have played role designed specifically to aid the needs of women, but over time the way that women prisoners are treated has become more and more asexual, leaning toward male interaction types.Women prisoners have also taken on roles that are seemingly more deviant which may be one reason for this type of interaction.
The Arizona Corrections website explains the history of women working within their prison system. It explains that the first employee hired to work in the department was a women although she did not start as a correctional officer but instead a secretary to the Director of the facility Allen cook. It explains that the security positions were held only by men at that time. It tells of the first woman promoted to Sergeant in 1979 and by 1981 there were 130 women serving as protective service workers and they sight “Women as Professionals” report as saying that “This small group of women had to overcome many obstacles s in the quest for a career in the corrections field.” There are several women highlighted in this article such as Mabel While who was the first Correctional Service Officer who finished the ADC Academy in March of 1982, Kathy Atwood who became the first ADC Lieutenant in a male institution in 1982, and Ann Martinez who was named the first female captain in 1980. Dora Schriro was appointed by governor Janet Napolitano in July, 2003 and was the first women to lead the department.
Arizona was a later state to give large role to women in the correctional facilities, but like others has made many increases in the number of women serving.