View behind bars: A visit to the women's justice facility

View behind bars: A visit to the women's justice facility

In front of the dreary walls of the only women's justice facility in Baden-Württemberg, the JVA Schwäbisch-Gmünd, the dreary is more visible. As Indymedia.org , a visit to a friend there is characterized by strict security precautions and emotional moments. The institution appears inconspicuous from the outside, but the view behind the prison walls reveals that the life of the inmates is anything but carefree. Visitors have to hand over their personal objects and withstand strict controls before they get into the visiting room, where the conversation is characterized by acoustic barriers and monitored cabins.

The hard everyday life of the inmates

Carmen, which is in preventive detention, sees the barren environment of the prison of the JVA in one of the visitor cabins. Her freedom is severely restricted, a reality that not only meets her, but also your visitors. The personal encounters are restricted in a clear time frame and are monitored by supervisory staff, which strongly influences the emotional exchange. Communication has improved since the introduction of telephones in the cells, but contact remains limited and is subject to strict regulations - a widespread problem in German correctional facilities.

In Germany, the correctional facilities are, so describes it wikipedia.org , which offer different services and security protocols. While some institutions may introduce modern means of communication, access remains to be called and in many cases visits problematic. Especially in the Schwäbisch-Gmünd institution, the conditions for female prisoners and their interactions with the outside world are significantly restricted. These differences in living conditions and access to external contacts can not only influence the resocialization of the occupants, but also the emotional well -being of family members.