Time and time again, research has shown how the criminal justice system mistreats imprisoned individuals due to the lack of compassion government officials have for prisoners. Additionally, since government officials walk with this better than you attitude, they shut down the idea of providing proper resources to prisoners while incarcerated. This is a major problem because, although the prisoner committed a crime, they are still humans and deserve to be treated as such. Moreover, the justice system tends to dehumanize prisoners, from the food on the trays to the lack of compassion officers give to inmates. There has to be a voice for the voiceless.

As stated in the paragraph above, the justice system neglects prisoners with their basic human necessities, especially women. According to an article adapted from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the number of incarcerated females in state and federal prisons has increased by five percent in the year 2021. This statistic is troublesome because of the knowledge that the heart of the system does not show sympathy to troubled human beings. Additionally, the importance of this non-profit organization called Locked In Without is to emphasize the need for confined women to have some essentials since women experience more natural things, such as pregnancy and menstruation, compared to men. The mission of Locked In Without is to supply materials and be an advocate for female prisoners. The organization will supply essentials like menstrual tools, medication and vitamins, hygiene products, and more. The message of Locked In Without states that although the prisoner committed a crime, the lack of necessities shouldn’t be their punishment, only the years behind bars.

A reason for this non-profit organization is to talk about the stigma surrounding the topic of menstruation, such as how periods can be painful and embarrassing sometimes. According to an article titled A Period in Custody: Menstruation and the Imprisoned Body, the author conducted research explaining the difficulties women experience while on their period in prison. The article also discusses the humiliation female prisoners feel during that time of the month, using anonymous statements from female prisoners located in a close women’s prison in England about their experience with their period. Listed are a few statements from anonymous female prisoners:

I become tense just before my period. I get cross with everyone around me. My breasts swell, and they feel very heavy, you know? I just want to sleep all the time, and if I can’t, I become more irritable and more likely to snap.

I have really, really bad period pains. Sometimes I’m all crouched up because the pain is so bad.

This article conveys the physical, emotional, and mental components a woman goes through during her menstrual phase. In the article, the author showed how the justice system wants to silence female prisoners about the topic of menstruation, even though it’s a natural thing that all women experience in their lifetime and for most of it too. Women shouldn’t feel ashamed about their periods. Along with female prisoners expressing humiliation about their period due to the system shaming women about this matter, Additionally, prisons have strict schedules for inmates, so it’s hard for women to have proper rest for their bodies. Studies have shown that women tend to need more rest during menstruation. The feeling of embarrassment during periods, along with a lack of proper rest, creates a stressful environment for a woman to be in, which is the reason Locked In emphasizes the importance for the non-profit to supply items to female prisoners but also to discuss the sigma of women’s needs while in prison.

An article adapted from the Law Journal Library titled Cycles of Punishment: The Constitutionality of Restricting Access to Menstrual Health Products in Prison explains how female prisoners are limited to menstrual tools a day. The article shows that the number of sanitary products a woman would receive is around two. Furthermore, female prisoners would also state how the sanitary products are made out of very cheap material. This action is very unsanitary and can put female prisoners at a greater risk of catching an infection or experiencing health complications later in life. Locked In Without, a non-profit organization, provides sanitary products to female prisoners so they won’t have to worry about experiencing terrible health conditions due to the justice system neglecting female prisoners needs.

            There are several steps I will take to create this non-profit organization. First, I would start by doing an extensive amount of research on different components that relate to female prisoners and healthcare. I would research information about local and federal prisons that are lacking in products for females and other similar non-profit organizations that are providing supplies for incarcerated women, along with the requirements to run a non-profit. Furthermore, I would establish the name of the organization, create posters, and create social media pages to get the word out about Locked In Without. I would also handle information with the government. Researching explained how it is important for the organization to file Form 1024-A to request tax-exempt status. Another step that Locked In Without non-profit organizations would have to take is to get permission or legal documentation from government officials to visit guarded facilities with boxes full of hygienic items.

For my non-profit organization, it’s important for the organization to have the finances to provide essential services for female prisoners. My idea to provide financial support for Locked In Without non-profit organizations is to establish a donation page that will be posted on the non-profit organization’s social media pages. This donation page will allow people to donate money for this cause. I would also throw fundraising events, such as car washing or yard work, to fund the organization. I want to discuss how I think it is important to have multiple sources of income for this organization in case one of the plans fails or does not provide enough money compared to other months.

Locked in Without entails supplying women with hygienic supplies. The items the organization would purchase are sanitary products. The organization would provide menstrual tools, such as pads, tampons, and menstrual cups. The organization would also provide the prisoners with body care and oral care supplies. The reason the organization would provide all of these products is because prisoners make little money in guarded facilities, so I think it would benefit female prisoners if the organization gave the prisoners products.

Since prisoners can’t leave their facilities, my organization would start in the state of Virginia, visiting prison facilities and handling out sanitary products to female prisoners. The organization’s workers would visit certain facilities two times throughout the month and distribute items for an hour to two hours, depending on the number of women in the facility. Additionally, as the non-profit continues to expand, the organization would then consider other methods to distribute products to female prisoners. For instance, facility members order boxes of products from the organization’s website, and the organization ships the products to the facility.

The mission of the non-profit organization titled Locked In Without is to provide healthcare products for female prisoners because of the things they experience in prison facilities. This topic is a big concern because it is important for women to take care of their bodies since they are more susceptible to infections than men. Moreover, the justice system removes the chance for female prisoners to properly take care of themselves, which is unfair. Although the woman behind bars committed a crime, they do not deserve to be dehumanized by society. Locked In Without’s motto is that the lack of necessities shouldn’t be their punishment, only the years behind bars.

Locked In Without Non-Profit Organization Advertisement Page

Reference Page

Abradani. (2022, March 14). Incarcerated Women’s Inadequate Access to menstrual hygiene products by Natalie Fouque | E-Pulse blog. https://blogs.depaul.edu/jhli/2022/03/14/incarcerated-womens-inadequate-access-to-menstrual-hygiene-products-by-natalie-fouque/

Carson, A., & Kluckow, R. (2023). Prisoners in 2022 – Statistical tables. Bureau of justice statistics. Retrieved from: https://bjs.ojp.gov/document/p22st.pdf

Smith, C. (2009). A period in custody menstruation in the imprisoned body. Internet journal of Criminology. Retrieved from: Microsoft Word – Smith_A_Period_in_Custody (psu.edu)

O’Shea Carney, Mitchell. (2020). Cycles of punishment: the constitutionality of restricting access to menstrual health products in prisons. Boston College Law Review, 61(7), 2541-2594. Retrieved from: https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/bclr61&div=65&g_sent=1&casa_token=&collection=journals