Piper Kerman Tells Congress Prison ‘Much Harsher’ for Women of Color

Piper Kerman testified before Congress on Tuesday about the many challenges women face in prison. Kerman knows about those challenges first hand, because she spent thirteen months in Danbury Federal Prison. Piper Kerman is the author of Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Federal Prison which is the basis for the hit TV show of the same name on Netflix.

Piper pointed out that women of color and women from low-income backgrounds are disproportionately affected by the prison system. She noted that many of the women she was incarcerated with were serving “much harsher sentences” compared to her own.

“It was impossible…to believe that their crimes were so much more serious than mine…The only conclusion I could draw was that they had been treated much more harshly by the American criminal justice system than I had been treated because of socio-economic reasons, differences in class and in some cases because of the color of their skin. When I reflect on the punishment for my crime I certainly cannot protest it when I think of the harshness with which poor people and disproportionately poor people of color are treated in this country”

Kerman suggested gender-specific policies to better address issues faced by women in prison. She discussed research on mental health issues experienced by female prisoners, and compared the need for new policies and treatment options to women experiencing different symptoms of heart attacks than men. Kerman cited the state of Washington’s policies as a good example to follow.

Kerman also criticized the re-entry classes she was part of at Danbury. The classes are designed to help the women reintegrate into society, but the instructors were often unqualified and lacking specific knowledge. Many of the women she shared time with were desperate to learn about finding affordable, safe, felon-friendly housing upon release, and were completely disappointed when the housing class was taught by someone in the construction industry who instead shared home improvement tips.

The health class wasn’t much better. There was no information on reproductive health, mental illness or substance abuse – all very relevant issues in prison. The class was taught by a culinary department officer who had once played professional baseball, “Hence his authority on the health topic,” Kerman joked.

This isn’t the first time Piper Kerman has testified before congress about the issues women face in prison. She spoke about the use of solitary confinement in 2014. Kerman has also spoken about re-entry issues at the White House, and currently serves on the board of the Women’s Prison Association.

Prison reform is picking up traction as a social issue among celebrities and politicians alike. John Legend is passionate about prison reform, and wrote a scathing criticism of the American prison system in July. President Obama has pushed prison reform during his presidency, and made history as the first sitting president to visit a federal prison.

See Kerman’s full testimony below:

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[Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images]