Topic > Essay on Women in Prison - 2271

There have been several court cases that have called into question the practices conducted in women's prisons. These cases include Barefield v. Leach, Glover v. Johnson, Todaro v. Ward, Cooper v. Morin and Carnterino v. Wilson. Barefield v. Leach, which occurred in 1974, was important for women because it established the standard by which courts could measure whether women received a lower standard of treatment than men. Todaro v. Ward, following this case in 1977, declared that the failure to provide access to health care to incarcerated women was a violation of the Eighth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment. Glover v. Johnson's next 1979 case argued that the state must provide women with the same educational, rehabilitation, and job training opportunities provided to male offenders. Finally, the last major court case to question practices in a women's prison was Cooper v. Morin, which occurred in 1980. This particular case held that the Equal Protection Clause prevents prison administrators from justifying disparate treatment of women based on the provision of such services. It's uncomfortable for women. In conclusion, the court case stated that “males and females must be treated equally unless there is a substantial reason to make a distinction.” (Canterino c.