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Oklahoma’s female prison population: A growing concern is gaining attention
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The recent media spotlight on female prisoners enduring sexual assault in northeast Oklahoma’s Delaware County jail are worrisome, to say the least. Feminist bloggers across the country are rightly outraged at the allegations of abuse. And Oklahoma, as a state, appears to be a backward, modern version of the wild west.
Those filing the suit were Sherry England, Katrina Rogers, Cynthia Craig and Marie Watson. The full lawsuit details allegations of sexual abuse that are disgusting, ranging from anal and vaginal rape to groping and humiliating sexual comments. The four former Delaware County inmates have filed a civil lawsuit in Tulsa federal court accusing sheriff Jay Blackfox of covering up such crimes as rape and sexual battery as well as blackmail attempts and death threats committed against them by jailers. But the truth and justice in this case may never prevail because the male jailer specifically accused in all of these counts of sexual assault, Bill Sanders, Sr., died in November of 2008.
Still, this most recent story about Oklahoma’s female prison population is just one anecdotal piece of a much larger, puzzling issue. Oklahoma ranks number 1 in the nation for female incarceration. Oklahoma's female incarceration rate is nearly twice the national average of 69 women per 100,000 females. As of late January, 2,665 females were behind bars in Oklahoma. That works out to 131 women behind bars for every 100,000 females in the state. The majority of these women are behind bars on drug-related charges. And, to chalk up even more casualties to America’s failed war on drugs, over 80% of Oklahoma’s female inmates are mothers.
As one might imagine, housing this many inmates costs the state quite a bit, which is one reason many Oklahomans would like to see the numbers reduced. Laura Pitman, the new boss of the state Department of Corrections' female prisons, says:
"For the state of Oklahoma, the question to be answered is can we maintain public safety and reduce the amount we spend on corrections…I believe so because I think we over-incarcerate low-risk offenders.”
The experiences of two of the plaintiffs in the recent Delaware County sexual assault case support Pitman’s view. Sherry England, 49, was jailed for nearly 2 weeks (June 25-July 7, 2007) on charges of public intoxication and bringing contraband into the jail. Her charges were later dismissed. Katrina Rogers, 30, was held from Jan. 11–23, 2008 on possession of marijuana and paraphernalia charges. The marijuana charge was reduced to a misdemeanor, and she pleaded guilty Jan. 23 and was fined. It is experiences like these that seem to be perfect opportunities for rehabilitation. Each of these women could have spent nearly two weeks in treatment programs instead of two weeks in the over-crowded county jail enduring abuse. People like England and Rogers were surely better off and, one could easily agree, less of a risk to public health and safety before they entered Oklahoma’s criminal system.
The story of Oklahoma’s female prison population continues to gain new chapters, and support for reform increases as the number of females entering Oklahoma’s prison system continues to grow. Just this year, Oklahoma documentary filmmaker Bradley Beasley released Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo. The film goes behind prison walls to follow convict cowgirls on their journey to the 2007 Oklahoma State Penitentiary Rodeo. The rave reviews, festival awards, and HBO distribution are not necessarily the most important accomplishments the filmmakers have under their belts. They are also getting active in prisoner rehabilitation efforts, establishing a scholarship for inmates attending college while incarcerated.
For more information on the Beasley’s documentary, visit www.sweetheartsoftheprisonrodeo.com.
For more information on prison reform, visit www.prisonreform.org.
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