Tomorrow (January 23, 2015) Between the Lines Book Club is meeting at 10:30AM at Arden Dimick Library to discuss Orange is the New Black. You can also participate in book club by leaving a comment below!

In Piper Kerman’s memoir, Orange is the New Black, she talks about the dehumanizing experience of jail and the social issues which contribute to women spending time there. Our penal system exists in a complex social and political system that includes institutionalized racism and sexism as well as poverty and limited physical and mental health care for those who need it most.

If you find this topic interesting, here are four articles that give some information about the state of American jails and prisons today.

The American Jail Association’s “Ten Facts About Women in Jail” give a good overview of the situation of women in the penal system.

The Huffington Post reports that “The US is Home to Nearly One-Third of the World’s Female Prisoners”

“Hellhole”, by Atul Gawdane, explored the impact of solitary confinement in American prisons.

“The Milwaukee Experiment” addresses the disproportionate number of African americans in prison and what some people are doing about it. At the bottom of the article are links to other New Yorker articles about prison in America.