Let's Talk About It With Jenny/Why Are More Women Incarcerated in jails than Men

Avoiding pre-trial incarceration is challenging for women possibly because they have lower incomes than incarcerated men and have a harder time affording bail.

Jails make it harder to stay in touch with their families than prisons do. Jail phone calls cost three times more than calls from prison, and other forms of communication are more restricted. Some jails don't even allow real letters, limiting mail to postcards.

Eighty percent of women in jails are mothers, and most of them are primary caretakers of their children.

Women in jails are also more likely to suffer from mental health problems and experience serious psychological distress than men in either correctional setting.