Women have the fastest growing incarceration rate in the United States. Since the 1980’s the number of females in prison is five times higher, and that for men has doubled (Rathbone, 2005, p.23). In “A World Apart”, Crisitina Rathbone tells a riveting story of what it is like as a female prisoner at MCI- Framingham. Rathbone puts a face to the statistics that are shown constantly in the media and in part one she examines some of the differences in male and female prisons and the consequences of using opposite sex guards in gender specific prisons.
The main differences between male and female inmates are the reasons they are incarcerated. Women are incarcerated for crimes against morality namely having sex and getting high, while men are incarcerated for crimes against property and people such as theft, assault, and murder (Rathbone, 2005, p.27). Due to the fact that male inmates commit more serious offenses, male prisons are…show more content… The potential consequences include, rape and abuse of power. I agree and disagree that sex in prisons should be prohibited, it should be prohibited between a guard and an inmate, due to the power structure that the guard has over the inmate. However, it should be allowed between inmates, taking extra precautionary measures in order to ensure that the encounters are consensual. Though I agree that an inmate is at liberty to consent to sexual encounters while in prison, I do not believe that it should be allowed between guards and inmates. Though some inmates may consent to such encounters, others may not consent. However the courts will look at it as if they consented because after all they are in a lower position, and who is going to believe an inmate over a correctional officer. Such was the case of Marsha Pigett whose involuntary sexual encounters were flagged as voluntary before the law was passed banning sexual relations (Rathbone, 2005, p.