Historically, women in prisons have represented a minority and prison policies, implemented mainly in response to the needs of male prisoners, have neglected their specificity, which the scientific literature has highlighted through the identification of differences in prison conditions compared to men. The limited presence of women in prison has led to the creation of prison systems focused mainly on the needs of men. Most women serve their sentences in internal sections of men’s prisons, often remaining hidden and excluded from the activities and forms of assistance provided. Women in prison must, therefore, not only face the typical difficulties of imprisonment, but also those related to gender identity. This “double penalty” often results in a double burden that profoundly influences the prison experience. The research in the framework of the MICA project carried out at the Juvenile Penal Institute (IPM) of Casal del Marmo in Rome in the autumn of 2022 allowed the specificity of the condition of female juvenile detainees to emerge according to a gender perspective. The results of the research outline a reality characterised by important deficiencies of the prison environment in which women prisoners do not have access to the same opportunities as men prisoners in the same facility, thus determining a gender inequality of treatment. Young female IPM inmates are confronted on a daily basis with challenges related to the lack of adequate space, constant noise and limited opportunities to participate in educational and recreational activities. To effectively address the unequal treatment of male and female prisoners, it is essential to adopt a gender-sensitive approach. This implies the need for gendersensitive prison policies and programmes. Only through a gender-sensitive and inclusive approach to the specific situation of women prisoners will it be possible to contribute to greater justice and equality in the prison system.
Ristretti orizzonti in un’ottica di genere. Note sociologiche sull’esperienza dello spazio da parte delle detenute
CATALDI S.
;
2025
Abstract
Historically, women in prisons have represented a minority and prison policies, implemented mainly in response to the needs of male prisoners, have neglected their specificity, which the scientific literature has highlighted through the identification of differences in prison conditions compared to men. The limited presence of women in prison has led to the creation of prison systems focused mainly on the needs of men. Most women serve their sentences in internal sections of men’s prisons, often remaining hidden and excluded from the activities and forms of assistance provided. Women in prison must, therefore, not only face the typical difficulties of imprisonment, but also those related to gender identity. This “double penalty” often results in a double burden that profoundly influences the prison experience. The research in the framework of the MICA project carried out at the Juvenile Penal Institute (IPM) of Casal del Marmo in Rome in the autumn of 2022 allowed the specificity of the condition of female juvenile detainees to emerge according to a gender perspective. The results of the research outline a reality characterised by important deficiencies of the prison environment in which women prisoners do not have access to the same opportunities as men prisoners in the same facility, thus determining a gender inequality of treatment. Young female IPM inmates are confronted on a daily basis with challenges related to the lack of adequate space, constant noise and limited opportunities to participate in educational and recreational activities. To effectively address the unequal treatment of male and female prisoners, it is essential to adopt a gender-sensitive approach. This implies the need for gendersensitive prison policies and programmes. Only through a gender-sensitive and inclusive approach to the specific situation of women prisoners will it be possible to contribute to greater justice and equality in the prison system.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
