Starting 2026 with a Women’s Issue honors the many roles women play in the prison system — from staff to incarcerated individuals. Women behind bars have access to fewer educational and growth opportunities, and women face barriers to health care in prison. More than 70% of women in prison report having been victims of intimate partner violence and abuse. These realities, and the stories around them, are changing laws and institutions.
What’s in Issue 22
“The Bipartisan Push to Rethink Long Sentences for Abuse Survivors”
Georgia’s comprehensive April 2025 law protects abuse survivors convicted of crimes connected to their victimization. It facilitates presenting abuse evidence at trial and sentencing, while expanding resentencing opportunities. With over 70% of incarcerated women reporting having experienced intimate partner violence, advocates hope Georgia’s model will inspire nationwide reform.
“Women Are Sent to This Federal Prison for Dialysis. They Say It's Killing Them.”
At Federal Medical Center Carswell, in Texas — the only federal women’s prison offering in-patient dialysis — women report life-threatening conditions including missed treatments, malfunctioning equipment, unsanitary practices and inadequate patient education. Despite multiple deaths and consistent complaints, the Bureau of Prisons holds that treatment is adequate, while operating with minimal oversight and rarely granting compassionate release.
“‘Fear for Their Lives’: Trans Women Federal Prisoners Told They Will Be Housed With Men”
Following an executive order by President Donald Trump in early 2025, the Bureau of Prisons began transferring transgender women to men’s facilities despite grave safety concerns. With 37% of incarcerated transgender individuals reporting sexual assault, compared with 3% overall, advocates fought through the courts, but many were transferred before protections could be secured.
Plus, In the Spotlight, “Peeps,” Reader to Reader, a crossword puzzle and more regular features.
Check out our PDF to enjoy the same material we send inside.
Table of Contents
- Page 4: Love Beyond Bars: Larry and Gloria
- Page 8: Women Are Sent to This Federal Prison for Dialysis. They Say It’s Killing Them.
- Page 12: The Bipartisan Push to Rethink Long Sentences for Abuse Survivors
- Page 13: These States Have Investigated Miscarriages and Stillbirths as Crimes
- Page 15: The Prisoner-Led Communications Class I Didn’t Think I Needed
- Page 17: Trans Women Federal Prisoners Told They Will Be Moved, Fear for Safety
- Page 18: How Cases Like Luigi Mangione’s Could Widen the Death Penalty Divide
- Page 19: How I Became an Opera Composer in a Maximum Security Prison
- Page 23: How One Parking Ticket Cost Hundreds of Drivers Their Licenses
- Page 25: Dozens Locked in Hinds County’s Jails Without an Indictment — Some for Over a Year
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