WOMEN’S PRISONS
November 12, 2008
OVERALL: There are only 3 women’s federal prisons in the U.S. None of them are a supermax prison, used for the worst male offenders. Women who are considered a security risk are sent to the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth Texas. Because Salt is really Chenkov, a foreign national, she would also be slated for deportation upon release (if her sentence is anything less than life) which would also make her a high security risk and land her at Carswell. All Department of Defense female prisoners are housed at the Naval Consolidated Brig, Miramar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Consolidated_Brig,_Miramar) in San Diego. This is a medium security prison with no civilian prisoners.
1. The U.S. Federal Prison System by Mary Bosworth. 2002
“High security females: There has never officially been a supermax prison for women. High-security female offenders are held in severely restricted zones within larger establishments. Currently women who are ‘special management concerns’ due to repeated escape attempts or violence may be sent to the administrative unit at FMC Carswell.”
Foreign Nationals: Foreign prisoners are also treated somewhat differently from U.S. nationals. Constituting 30% of the total prison population, prisoners of foreign citizenship are subject to the Institutional Removal Program (IRP) that the Bureau of Prisons runs in conjunction with the Immigration and Naturalization services. During 1999, more than 5,000 detainees were involved in this hearing process, which determines whether they will be deported after their sentence. More than 7,000 await deportation or release. The Bureau of Prisons also follows the guidelines of the department of justice prisoner exchange program – where possible, transferring inmates to complete their sentences in their native countries and accepting U.S. nationals from foreign prisons to complete their sentences in U.S. territory.
2. Federal Medical Center, Carswell;
The Federal Medical Center (FMC) Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, is a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility that provides specialized medical and mental health services to female offenders. FMC Carswell is located in the northeast corner of Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, and houses approximately 1,400 inmates. The facility is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the American Correctional Association.
Although most inmates at this facility have some form of medical condition requiring treatment, there is also a general population of inmates at FMC Carswell who do not.
There is a Federal Prison Industries UNICOR program at Carswell i.e. a Call Center, which employs inmates on 411-type directory assistance enquiries.
The prison has undergone various changes since 1995: the parking lot formerly situated at the south end has been moved to the northwest end, which is overlooked by a large water-tower standing just outside the razor wire perimeter. A running track and a baseball field surrounded by trees have been constructed at the southwest corner. The main facility itself is a large structure of interconnecting buildings, typical of a hospital complex.
The prison is surrounded by two separate fences with a gap of approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) between them. Measuring approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) high, each chain-link fence is reinforced with multiple coils of long-barb razor wire fixed at the top and bottom.
The prison's main entrance is on the northwest end, and there is a second entrance on the south end, which contains a guard post and two gates. Finally, there is a third entrance in the north which contains two gates. Outside the razor-wire perimeter in the south are two large buildings which are either warehouses or vehicle storage areas.
Security systems include door control, telephone, LAN radio, intercom/paging, video surveillance, nurse call, intrusion detection, perimeter security and master-antenna-television.
3. Chantal McCorckle:
http://www.freechantal.com/frames/index.htm
A British citizen and non-violent offender convicted of a fraud scam incarcerated at Carswell. She is not eligible for a less secure prison because she is not a U.S. citizen. Because foreigners are deported after completing their sentence they are considered a flight risk.
Attire: On the above site is a photo of Chantal McCorckle wearing an orange, scrubs-style uniform. A pullover shirt with a v-neck and breast patch pocket.
4. Foreign Nationals in U.S. Prisons:
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/foreign-nationals-and-death-penalty-us#Nationality
“Along with the general consular notification obligations that apply under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the USA has also negotiated separate bilateral consular agreements applicable to some 50 countries. Under the terms of most of these agreements, there is a mandatory obligation to promptly notify the consulate of an arrest irrespective of the national's wishes (typically within a specified time period, such as 72 hours following the detention).”
OTHER FEDERAL PRISONS FOR WOMEN
5. FPC Alderson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alderson_Federal_Prison_Camp
Alderson Federal Prison Camp, also known as Federal Prison Camp, Alderson or FPC Alderson, is a federal prison in the United States for minimum-security female inmates. The prison is a prison camp with a population of around 1,050 and is located in the rural town of Alderson in southeast West Virginia, about 270 miles (430 km) southwest of Washington, DC. Both Florence Harding and Eleanor Roosevelt, former and future First Ladies, and Mabel Walker Willebrandt, the Assistant U.S. Attorney General, first encouraged its establishment.
FPC Alderson opened in 1927 as the Federal Industrial Institution for Women and was the first federal prison for women. The camp comprises 105 acres (0.42 km2/0.164 sq mi) of rolling hills. While there are no metal fences surrounding the camp, prisoners have schedules and must work. Free time is spent playing volleyball, softball or tennis.
Most of the inmates at FPC Alderson have been convicted of non-violent or white-collar crime. They sleep in bunk beds in dormitories or in cottages.
The prison is nicknamed "Camp Cupcake" by most residents and the media, and "Yale" by one-time attendee Martha Stewart.
6. Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Correctional_Institution,_Dublin
Medium Security federal prison in the city of Dublin, SE of Oakland California.
“Situated on the Parks Reserve Forces Training Area (PRFTA), FCI Dublin opened in 1974 and is one of only three federal facilities for women in the US. It is a medium-security facility incarcerating female offenders who are serving an average sentence of 5 years. The prison is completely surrounded by a double fence topped with multiple coils of razor wire. It has a design capacity of 250 inmates, but houses well in excess of 1,000. Conditions are cramped, with three inmates sharing a cell designed to house a single prisoner. Meals are served in shifts due to the small size of the dining facilities.
Like most American prisons, FCI Dublin also contains an SHU (Security Housing Unit), where any prisoners who are deemed to have broken prison rules are kept in segregation under a highly restrictive regime. Prisoners in the SHU spend more time locked in their cell than the general prison population, are only allowed out for limited amounts of time and must be transported to/from their cell wearing handcuffs. Depending on the circumstances, an inmate may spend weeks or even months in the SHU.
The prison’s education department offers GED and ESL programs, as well as courses in parenting skills. The prison also provides legal and leisure library services in addition to training in the use of various computer software.
There are two Federal Prison Industries UNICOR programs at FCI Dublin: the Textiles and the Call Center. Textiles employs approximately 150 inmates on the manufacture of custom draperies, parachutes, and disaster blankets. They also sort and repair USPS mailbags. The Call Center employs around 250 inmates on directory assistance enquiries.
FCI Dublin is surrounded by two separate fences with a gap of approximately 10 feet (3.0 m) between them. Measuring 14 feet (4.3 m) high, each chain-link fence is reinforced with multiple coils of razor wire (at the top and bottom) plus electronic sensors to detect escape attempts.
The institution also has an adjacent administrative detention facility housing adult males on holdover or pre-trial status, and a minimum security satellite camp housing adult female offenders, which opened in 1990.”
7. Federal Correction Institution, Danbury:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Correctional_Institution,_Danbury
The Federal Correctional Institution Danbury is a federal prison for women (formerly for men) in the United States. It is located near the city of Danbury in Fairfield County, Connecticut, 70 miles (110 km) from New York City and 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Danbury. This prison was known popularly as a "country club" prison , especially among mobsters who were sent here.
Danbury houses low security female offenders and also has an adjacent satellite camp, which houses minimum security female offenders.
