In this episode, we hear from women about their experiences in prison and with the criminal justice system. Women are the fastest growing population of incarcerated people in the United States today. The rate of growth for female imprisonment has been twice as high as that of men since 1980, growing nearly 700% in the last 45 years and coinciding with the war on drugs. Female incarceration levels peaked in 2015 to 210,000 women and girls imprisoned across the US,-it then dipped during the covid pandemic to 150,000, in 2020-5 years later, but it’s back on the rise. Today there are some 190,000 women and girls incarcerated in the US. In 1980, there were only 26,000.
We start with Precious, who was found guilty in 2017 of manslaughter against a partner who abused her. She was released on parole in 2020.
Pamela Keane holds a drug and alcohol abuse counselor certification, and is finishing up a college degree. She’s now living on her own, After spending the first six years post release in a sober-living house. Pamela served 5 years of a 9 year sentence in an Illinois State Prison, for fraudulent activities. She was paroled in 2017.
A bold, nine-part series amplifying the voices and artistry of people directly impacted by the criminal punishment system. Through performance, FIPPP centers the brilliance, struggle, and imagination of formerly incarcerated community members. Each episode highlights the realities of incarceration and the power of telling one’s own story.