Today Lawyer and human rights advocate Nicolás Laino discusses how poverty, violence, and inequality contribute to women’s criminalization. He shares stories from his work as a public defender in Argentina, the importance of early, gender-sensitive legal aid, and how lawyers and policymakers can better support women behind bars. Nicolás also highlights global efforts to train legal professionals and include people with lived experience in shaping justice.

To learn more about some of the issues touched upon in this episode, visit womenbeyondwalls.org/nicolas

Photo essay - women in prison in Argentina - drug offences: theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/07/argentina-drug-offences-women-jails-photo-essay

Grassroots Justice Network: grassrootsjusticenetwork.org

UN Legal Aid Principles and Guidelines:

penalreform.org/issues/pre-trial-justice/4716-2/legal-aid-principles-guidelines/

https://legalempowermentfund.org

The Woman in the Line movie:

imdb.com/title/tt27698095/

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Women are the fastest-growing prison population worldwide, often locked up for low-level drug offenses tied to poverty, coercion, or survival. In this minisode, Marie Nougier from the International Drug Policy Consortium talks about moving beyond punitive drug laws that harm women and what compassionate, evidence-based alternatives could look like.

Learn more about the International Drug Policy Consortium: idpc.net

10-point plan: Gender-sensitive drug policies for women (2021):

www.penalreform.org/resource/10-point-plan-gender-sensitive-drug-policies-for-women

“No One Believed Me”: A Global Overview of Women Facing the Death Penalty for Drug Offenses:

https://dpw.lawschool.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/No-One-Believed-Me-A-Global-Overview-of-Women-Facing-the-Death-Penalty-for-Drug-Offenses.pdf

IDCP: Justice is setting them free: Women, drug policies, and incarceration in Latin America:

​​https://idpc.net/publications/2023/11/justice-is-setting-them-free-women-drug-policies-and-incarceration-in-latin-america

To learn more about some of the issues touched upon in this episode, visit www.womenbeyondwalls.org/marie

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Today, Rosma Karlina talks about her experiences with drug use and her time in prison, highlighting the harm caused by incarceration and forced rehabilitation programs. She also explains why health-focused, human-rights approaches like peer support, counselling, and community programmes are so important for women who use drugs.

Rosma is the director of SPINN, an Indonesian community group supporting women and trans women who use drugs. She is also part of the International Network of Formerly Incarcerated Women.

Learn more about the International Network of Formerly Incarcerated Women: theinfiw.com

To learn more about some of the issues touched upon in this episode, visit www.womenbeyondwalls.org/rosma

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Some say that when you imprison a mother, you imprison a family. Today, Dr. Shona Minson, Researcher at Oxford University’s Centre for Criminology, shares her groundbreaking work on the often invisible impact of maternal imprisonment on children. She goes beyond stereotypes that label incarcerated women as “bad mothers,” showing how poverty, stigma and systemic discrimination push women into prison and how these injustices reverberate through generations.

BBC Video, What happens when your Mum goes to prison: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYLKW4aOhWE

Talking About Methods Podcast: Shona Minson on Vicarious Trauma in Socio-legal research: open.spotify.com/episode/0ZBIzHyDYOf1DohjY4gzav

YouTube: Safeguarding Children when Sentencing Mothers: youtube.com/watch?v=XBY7hjsb-O0

To learn more about some of the issues touched upon in Pamela’s episode, visit www.womenbeyondwalls.org/shona

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Pamela Winn discovered she was pregnant while incarcerated in the USA. Shackled during transport and denied proper medical care, she endured harsh conditions no pregnant woman should face.

Today, Pamela asks us to go beyond stigma and recognise the humanity of incarcerated women, including mothers. She also talks about her work with RestoreHER, an organisation pushing for real policy change to help women caught up in the criminal legal system.

Learn more about RestoreHER: restoreher.us

The Women’s CARE (Childbirth Alternatives, Resources & Education) Act: restoreher.us/womenrsquos-care-act.html

RestoreHER Instagram: instagram.com/restoreher.usa

RestoreHER Facebook: facebook.com/restoreher.usa

RestoreHER Twitter/X: twitter.com/RestoreHER_USA

To learn more about some of the issues touched upon in Pamela’s episode, visit www.womenbeyondwalls.org/pamela

WINN | Juried Prize Winner | 2023 PBS Short Film Festival: youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=xVFRSMOgMSw

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From unpaid fines to laws that punish women for surviving violence, the system is locking up women who are simply trying to survive. Instead of addressing root causes, we’re criminalising poverty.

In this minisode, Olivia Rope, Executive Director of Penal Reform International, challenges us to go beyond the surface, to really listen to women’s stories and even question the system itself.

We also talk about what’s working, including the community-based alternatives to prison, as well as the bold leadership and investment we need from the women’s rights movements to really make change happen.

Learn more about Penal Reform International: www.penalreform.org

From Poverty to Punishment Report: www.womenbeyondwalls.org/povertytopunishment

To learn more about some of the issues touched upon in Olivia’s episode visit: From unpaid fines to laws that punish women for surviving violence, the system is locking up women who are simply trying to survive. Instead of addressing root causes, we’re criminalising poverty.

In this minisode, Olivia Rope, Executive Director of Penal Reform International, challenges us to go beyond the surface, to really listen to women’s stories and even question the system itself.

We also talk about what’s working, including the community-based alternatives to prison, as well as the bold leadership and investment we need from the women’s rights movements to really make change happen.

Learn more about Penal Reform International: www.penalreform.org/

From Poverty to Punishment Report: www.womenbeyondwalls.org/povertytopunishment

To learn more about some of the issues touched upon in Olivia’s episode visit: www.womenbeyondwalls.org/pod

Today, Teresa Njoroge asks us to look beyond poverty and see the potential in women caught up in the criminal legal system.

Teresa is a former banker in Kenya who was imprisoned with her 3-month-old daughter. That traumatic experience transformed her understanding of justice and inspired her to found Clean Start Africa, an organisation that supports women and children impacted by incarceration.

Today, Teresa challenges the way society labels some women as criminals and explains how poverty contributes to incarceration.

Learn more about Clean Start Africa:

https://cleanstartafrica.org/

From Poverty to Punishment Report:

womenbeyondwalls.org/povertytopunishment

To learn more about some of the issues touched upon in Teresa's episode visit womenbeyondwalls.org/teresa

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Across the world, women are being locked up in growing numbers—often not for serious crimes, but because they are poor, they’ve survived violence, or the system failed them.

In Season 2 of the Women Beyond Walls Podcast, we speak to women around the world who’ve lived through incarceration and those reimagining what justice could look like.