· The "Neve Tirtsa" Prison
The prison was established in 1968, and it is the only imprisonment facility in Israel designated for women. The prison is designated for about 220 Israeli female prisoners as well as female prisoners from the Palestinian territories. Currently, a third of the prisoners are prisoners jailed for involvement in terroristic activities.
Population Characteristics:
The population of women in the prison is complex and requires special treatment from all factors involved:
- About 60% of the prisoners are mothers, and so the detachment from their children is at time very difficult. Without the presence of a supporting family.
- Many prisoners come from a background of neglect and drug use.
- Pregnant prisoners, who give birth during their incarceration, care for their babies within the prison. At the age of two, the child is taken out of the prison and placed into a framework arranged for him by the welfare services, in order to allow him normal development in a normative environment. The prison also operates a daycare and employs a nurse for morning hours, so that the mothers could work or study.
The Course of Treatment:
A multi professional staff is in charge of providing the inmates with corrective tools, which operate on several levels simultaneously:
- Education- The formal education framework contains classes in various levels of education, starting from basic education and ending with high-school education. The informal education system offers the prisoners the opportunity to attend various classes and lectures; and participate in various shows and projects taking place within the prison. The educational vast activities serves as a fertile ground for the prisoners' growth and development, and it also helps in increasing their self-esteem as a healthier basis for life outside of prison.
- Therapy- Social therapy is provided, both personally and in a group forum, with particular focus on issues relevant to the prisoners: emotional support for maintaining mental balance, and corrective tools which would prepare them for life outside the prison. The prison contains a special ward for Inmates wishing to undergo drug rehabilitation.
- Employment- Professional training provides the opportunity for obtaining a profession and work habits. The prison employs a number of entrepreneurs, who come in and offer the prisoners paying jobs, which allows them to make creative use of their free time. In addition, every year, the prison also offers computer courses.
- Medicine- The prison provides the prisoners with medical services in the following fields: General medicine, dentistry, gynecology, pediatrics, sanitation, and preventive medicine.