Source: Newswire
No matter the crime, incarcerated women are still human—while their lives might have been put on pause when they broke the law, nature persists. Thus, even though these women are locked away, they still require access to feminine hygiene and sanitary products.
However, as the law currently stands in Arizona, female inmates are allotted only 12 free pads per month. They must ask an officer if they need more, at which time they must pay, and they may only possess up to 24 at a time. Unlike in other states, women who want tampons must purchase them with their own money.
Thankfully, changes might be on the way.
In recent days, the Arizona legislature has taken the time to hear arguments in support of a bill that would provide the nearly 4,000 female prisoners at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Perryville with unlimited access to the various forms of feminine hygiene products, including tampons, pads, cups, and sponges. Introduced by Rep. Athena Salman, D-Tempe, House Bill 2222 calls for the transfer of $80,000 from the state general fund to the Arizona Department of Corrections to cover the costs of these necessities.
“In our prison system, a 16-count of Always ultra-thin, long pads cost $3.20,” Salman told the House committee this week. Considering base pay for inmates starts at $0.15 per hour, a pack of pads would require nearly 21 hours of work, while a 20-count box of Playtex Super Gentle Glide tampons, at $3.99 each, would require one woman to work up to 27 hours to cover the cost of her own menstruation.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the average menstruation cycle lasts two to seven days, occurring every 21 to 35 days. Thus, if inmates change their pad or tampon every four to six hours to prevent infection and odor, as recommended, the average woman would need at least 20 pads or tampons every month. Those with heavier flows would require even more.
Beyond monetary concerns and health risks, women within Arizona’s prison system must also face the likelihood that, without enough pads or tampons, they’ll probably end up bleeding on their clothes, which counts as a dress code violation. Adrienne Kitcheyan, who spent six years in Perryville, said that anyone with blood-stained pants would be ticketed for violating the dress code, resulting in the loss of visitation rights, phone calls, and the ability to purchase store items, such as—you guessed it!—pads and tampons.
“Blood-stained pants, bartering and begging for pads and tampons was a regular occurrence,” she said during her testimony in support of the proposed bill.
But, as with most laws concerning women’s health in America, an overwhelmingly male committee will be the deciding force behind this bill’s success or failure.
Republican Rep. Jay Lawrence, the committee chairman, voted against the bill, saying: “I’m almost sorry I heard the bill. I didn’t expect to hear pads and tampons and the problems of periods.” Rep. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale, shared the sentiment, adding that giving prisoners more feminine-hygiene products would likely result in “a lot of frivolous actions,” such as women flushing them to try to clog a toilet.
Rep. Eric Descheenie, D-Chinle, however, was far more sympathetic: “It sounds like we’re clearly harming people even more when we humiliate people on levels that no man can understand. None of us will ever understand what that feels like and how that will affect someone.”
These women might be behind bars, but they deserve to be treated with the same dignity as any other American citizen. They are actively paying their debt to society, so this “punishment” should be considered cruel and unusual, as such behavior isn’t just disrespectful—it’s dehumanizing. No woman should be forced to wallow in her own filth and forfeit her privileges simply because she was born female. Having a uterus should not be considered criminal.
Like Descheenie said, these male representatives will never understand what women go through and how this level of degradation could hurt them long-term. If we want these women to be better citizens, we must set the example. We must show them that the system hasn’t given up on them. We must prove to them that they’re still worthwhile people. If we demonstrate decency by providing the products they need—products that will ultimately empower them to grow and improve—every member of society will benefit from this common-sense provision.
Stop & Smell the Roses 