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| http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-duberman/orange-is-the-new-black-review_b_3617934.html |
I'm pretty sure many of you ladies last summer were either spending time with your family and having fun with friends. Last summer around August, I did the same exact thing. However, I added something new to my summer bucket list. To officially watch all 2 seasons of a Netflix series called Orange Is The New Black. Orange Is The New Black is a crime comedy-drama that shows the lives and the stories of the women in prison and how they got there. The main character name Piper Chapman , is a woman probably in her thirties who gets sentenced to fifteen months in prison after being convicted of a crime she has done a long time ago. Chapman gets arrested for transporting money and drugs for an old drug-dealing girlfriend name Alex Vause. Even though OITNB is a comedy, it still deals with the harsh realities of real life women in prison.
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| Piper Chapman explaining how she's been treated in the Women Prison https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/b6/0d/56/b60d566a52c3ee9eb3730a0051345293.jpg |
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“In federal correctional facilities, 70 percent of the guards are male and correctional officials have subjected female inmates to rape, other sexual assaults, sexual extortion, and groping during body searches. In addition, women in prison have been denied essential medical resources and treatment, especially during times of pregnancy and in connection with chronic or degenerative diseases” says ,Sonia Pressman Fuentes in Top 18 Issues Challenging Women Today. I chose this statement said by Sonia Pressman Fuentes because not only does it relate to OITNB so much, but shows the reality of how serious this is effecting the women in Prison.
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| http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140711214439/orange-is-the-new-black/images/8/8f/Orange-is-the-New-Black-Daya-Character-Poster-695x1024.jpg |
In OITNB there is a character name Dayanara "Daya" Diaz, who gets pregnant in prison with correctional officer name Bennett , who also is her love interest in the show. Many people who watch this might think this is crazy and she is so dumb for putting herself in a situation like that. At this point in the season we wont find out until season 3 will Daya have her baby in prison or will she be free by the time she has her baby. Daya is a great example of how most women who get pregnant and are put into to prison are questioned how they will live there life with a newborn.
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| https://fuzzyundertones.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/oitnb-sophia |
Another character the audience is introduce to in OITNB is Sophia Burset who is a transgender inmate who does everyone's hair in the prison. In one point in the season Sophia is denied from her hormone pills, indicating that the prison is not giving proper medical care to Sophia and to most of the inmates in the prison. Sophia is a great example of how most transgender women are treated in prison. Many people who transgender and get arrested in America usually deal with the horrifying reality of being put in prison with inmates that match their gender that they were originally assigned at birth.
On Friday, February 27th, 2015 I watched on ABC 7, Journalist Diane Sawyer premiered on a 20/20 special called " A Nation Of Women Behind Bars". Diane Sawyer, explained in her segment that there over 200,000 women in the United States in prison more than any other nation that have women prisons. That there are 55 women on death row in the United States Today. Diane explain that one woman is assigned to be put to death this upcoming Monday. There are 1 out of 25 women who are put into death row that are accused for a crime they have never committed. Watching this segment I learned that many of the women who are put into prison are for non-violent crimes such as having possession or distributing drugs. There are women who are in prisons for high crimes such as robbery and murder also . As I was watching the segment most of these women who are put into prison are aware of what they have done. Most of their prison sentences is the maximum of 36 years and up for the crime they have committed. There was one woman that Diane Sawyer interviewed who has been prison since the age of 18 and has to serve 36 years. She was arrested for robbing a grocery store with her boyfriend , at that time she was working at that same grocery store. The day of the robbery, her boyfriend had shot and killed several people in the store . She told Diane Sawyer that she has even wrote to the Governor that she is willing to take the death sentence ,because she felt bad for what she had done to those families way back then. Most women who are release from prison are so scared to even do anything once they are back in society. One inmate that Diane Sawyer interviewed was being released in a couple days and expressing how much she wanted to change her life. Later in the segment they show her being released and being driven home by her sister that she has not seen in such a long time. First thing she does is question herself on what to do, she had so much fear in prison that she was so afraid on making the same mistake to go back into prison. That inmate who was released had got herself back to prison within 3 weeks for committing the same crime that caused her to be in prison in the first place.
My question is why are these women who committed non-violent crimes sentence at such a long period of time in prison? Why is it that when these women are release they aren't taken to someone who can mentally prepare them for the world out there for a new beginning? Why is that once we release a prisoner from jail there aren't free women programs that help these women do better and change for the better? Most of these women in the 20/20 special have understood the crime they have done and have changed for the better in prison. I feel as though the justice system for women in America has been unfair ever since the early 1800s . I say this because many women before were either punished for the most ridiculous things such as not cooking, not having children for their husband or even being punished for having children before marriage. Women who have experienced any type of physical or sexual abuse when they are younger or in a marriage are more likely to go to jail or prison for self-defense to get away from a partner who abused them. How are women suppose to survive when at that time in 1800s their own government system didn't even acknowledge them as their own individual person. Do you still think that the treatment of women from back then is still similar to now? Do you think our government cares to even help women to get better or either eager to punish and suppress them once again and put them behind bars? Do you think Orange Is The New Black is a good representation of what goes on in jail for women?
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/fullpage/women-bars-prison-changed-lives-women-29109135
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| Piper getting sexually harassed by Officer Mendez http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r666/karamelkinema/Posts/2013/07-July/21-Orange/OITNB03_zpsc59e9ffc.jpg |
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/fullpage/women-bars-prison-changed-lives-women-29109135
If you love Orange is the New Black you will love Wentworth!! It's also a Netflix show and it's similar to OITNB but I feel like it's better. Wentworth is also about women in prison. The main character Bea Smith is taken to prison after making an attempt to murder her violent abusive husband. Despite it being a sense of self defense Bea is still arrested. When in prison Bea befriends Franky Doyle who is a drug dealer in the prison and the "queen bee" but eventually after a series of events Bea earns the name queen bee in the prison and becomes the big dog. While in prison Bea's daughter Debbie is killed by one of her prison mate's son and was not able to even say goodbye at the funeral. The women in the prison are like a family however there is way more violence in Wentworth than there is in OITNB. Bea and the other women in this show go through a lot and it gives you a better idea of how the women behind bars live on a day to day basis. One of the prisoners in Wentworth has her daughter in prison with her. The child has to witness all the harsh things these women have to go through. Also there is a prisoner who got pregnant and has to hide it from the officers and there is also transgender in this show but they mistreat her and make fun of her. Season two of this show is way more intense than season one. I highly recommend it! Wentworth is like a whole other level from OITNB. It shows the mistreatment of women and things one has to do make a name for themselves in prison. Whether it's behind bars or not women always experience inequality.
ReplyDeleteWow Joanne! Your post was intriguing. I never knew that women sometimes purposely commit the same crime that they committed before so that they would go back to prison, rather than facing real life. With regards to your question which states: Do you think our government cares to even help women to get better or either eager to punish and suppress them once again and put them behind bars? I think that the government should make relief programs that would help anyone who gets out of prison physically and mentally prepared to face the world after being isolated from real life so such a long time. These programs should be available women, men, transgenders or whatever else people claim to be today, instead of just helping a certain group, it should help all HUMAN!! because each and everyone of us is unique and deserves to be treated with respect.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen the show OITNB but from the commercials I have seen it looks like a good show to watch, maybe I as well will binge watch that show during the summer. However, women aren't supposed to rebel so that is why I think they are sentenced to a longer time period. Women are supposed to just stay at home and cook and clean all day and not rob grocery stores or even kill people. Not often do we see women rebel in most movies we see women listen to their husband but one movie were you wanted to put the women in jail was "Gone Girl" she represents what women would like to do but can never. You will have mixed feelings about her character you will want to kill her but both congratulate her because her husband Ben Affleck cheats on her so she does what she does. America wastes all the money they have that would probably be why they don't help fund women to see a psychologist after they are released after prison. Woman today are still harassed and raped so whatever happened back then still happens today the only difference is women are allowed to vote now. America wants to go back to supress women so they will want to punish women , for not obeying.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE OITNB and you bring a great point. The article said that 70% of guards in prisons are male and no the show most of the guards are males. For example, Office Mendes who is a creep, constantly sexually assaults the inmates. Another horrible thing with Sophia was that the prison did not want to cover her hormone medication because it was deemed unnecessary. It shows that the life choices this person made don't matter and that transgender people's needs do not matter. It was eye opening I never knew women would commit the same crime, so they wouldn't have to deal with the real world. Great post Joanne!!
ReplyDeleteI watched the first episode of this show over the summer and i thought it was interesting. I watch a lot of prison shows and I find it interesting how women act in there. Not only do the rape and bully each other but it's very unsafe. This kind of surprised me because you usually don't see women as violent and nasty but it's like a whole different world in there. Women jails are just like men in a way because it's very violent and aggressive. I think it's good you posted this because it is a huge difference between women in the real world and jail women.
ReplyDeleteI watched the show OITNB and the show was very interesting. What I really loved about this show was that it imitated some of the issues that women in prison go through. However, it can never compare to the real deal. For example, I was watching a documentary about women in prison. The prison had a program to help women who are about to get out, learn from their crime and be better women. The problem is this was a requirement which some women "fake" as if their issues were solved in order to be released. This one woman was known as a bully and those who were afraid of her did not tell the instructor that she stab another female until after she was released. I feel sorry for those women who have to go through this fear because they never know when they will be the next one targeted. Furthermore, some women in jail are imprisoned for crimes such as prostitution and drugs. From the documentary this one woman had a drug issue which caused her to constantly be sent to jail. The problem is that she is so deep in the game or the fast life that it is so hard for her to stop using. She gets clean from the inside of jail, but once she is released she is back to using. I wish their were more programs to help these women so they can reunite with family or live a healthy life.
ReplyDeleteI have only watched two episodes for this show but from what I have seen women in this show are violated and treated harshly. Until now I didn't know that women in prison weren't given proper health care. As women we have health needs such as cramps and etc. I don't think that its right for there to be any many male guards in an all women's prison. Some male guards do take advantage of the women inmates. Women in prison get raped not only by other inmates but also by the guards. I honestly think the government doesn't care who they put in the prison because they are just seen as criminals. They may be criminals by they are also people. Just like with the health care most people would say "good we don't care that's good for them because they are the cause for the bad in our society" but I don't think that is fair. They already have to serve a sentence and aren't allowed to go anywhere the least can get is proper health care. Not only them but us outside of bars need proper health care. So how can we help those in jail if we cant even help the ones outside of jail?
ReplyDeleteI Have watched the whole first season and one third of the second season of Orange is the New Black and I too agree that how they treat women in those prisons is denying them their rights as people. I have also noticed how the woman in the show particular have been felt on, verbally mistreated, and even blackmailed by correction officers. They are forced to be silent when these things are done to them because police officers such as Officer Mendez can plot against you and threaten to increase you sentence or even put you in isolation, just as Chapman was. There was even a worse case scenario when Mendez locked one of the prisoners who was a former drug addict, in a closet with drugs. She was one of the prisoners who was trying to start a new life so she could live happily with her girlfriend, however, because of Mendez's actions she died of over dosage. To cover up the deeds he put rope around her neck to make her death seem as though she hung herself. From just seeing something like this in a television series I could only imagine what happens to these female prisoners in real life.
ReplyDeleteI love OITNB!! It is my favorite Netflix series. I never thought about the repercussions women face when they commit a crime. When watching OITNB, i was able to realize what women in prison go through. When we think of prison, generally speaking, we just think about men in prison for committing crimes. Never do we think about, "Well what happens to the women who go to jail. Are circumstances different for them?" Never would I have thought that women were getting raped by the correction officers and being treated extremely bad for no reason. They go to jail to serve their time. Is getting raped by officers and being ostracized by them part of the punishment too? I think women have it hard everywhere they go. Whether its working with a CEO or going to jail.
ReplyDeleteOITNB is one of my favorite Netflix series too. It shows the struggle that women have to go through in jail. I understand that they have committed a crime, but they still have the right to life's necessities. The part that really touched me was when they released that old lady from jail because she was sick and they couldn't take care of her. Why would they let a old lady wonder alone in this world. It's crazy what society can do to people. Also you don't really hear people talk about women getting raped in jail. We mostly hear about men, to be careful and not "drop the soap". Why can't women get the same focus as men.
ReplyDeleteThis post really got me thinking. It's sad how women outside of prison are covertly denied many of their rights, and the same is done when they are imprisoned. This is exactly what Angela Davis, from our Woman of the Week project, is still fighting for--equal rights for prisoners. At first when I heard some of the things Angela Davis said about the mistreatment of prisoners, I said to myself, "Why should those of us who do our best to abide by the laws have any compassion toward those who choose to disregard the set laws?" However, Angela Davis said that while there are prisoners who deserve to be brought to justice, there are also many people imprisoned for long periods of time because of their racial background, political views, and sexual orientation, and not necessarily for the crime(s) they have committed.
ReplyDeleteThe thought that taxpayer dollars are granting prisoners free healthcare seems like a slap in the face to those who are on the outside and don't have access to quality healthcare. After reading this article, I think of it as, "Then what are we paying for?" I feel like our government and society need to stop playing "God" are start fulfilling their roles as human beings. Again, I really enjoy this post, Joanne. Great job!