The penal system in Egypt allowed prisoners to continue their education onto secondary, university and post-graduate levels, although very of the few inmates did, in fact, study. Thus, despite this unique opportunity in Egyptian prisons, there were no women inmates who were studying for any degrees, despite the fact that the Qanatar Women’s prison had a small library (MEW 1993). However, this may be because of the Muslim culture that secludes women or because of the small number of women in prison. It may, however, also be argued that very few men were studying, despite their large number. In Cameroon a few of the research participants indicated that they would like to pursue their education. However, this appeared to be impossible even in prisons with educational opportunities. Educational discrimination is blamed on women’s physiology while, at best, the women received informal education if the facilities existed in the prison in question.
160
The research participant at PC indicated that the inmates are able to write both their First School Living Certificate and General Certificate of Education Ordinary Levels (G.C.E O’Levels) in prison.
We have two students in form 5 in Lycee de Mandankwe, they will be writing their G.C.E O’ levels this year… we got them admission into form 4 and I think the Catholic chaplaincy has been helpful for that because they bought their books, uniforms and paid the money the school demanded from each candidate… (Prison administrator PC).
However, it is clearly not the government that is paying for the tuition but rather the Catholic chaplaincy, otherwise teaching would be found in all the prisons and not limited to PC. However, one of the research participants in PC had wanted to write G.C.E O’ Levels in PC but it appeared that the permission to write would have to be granted as a favour from the superintendent. The research participant said:
Through encouragement from visitors I made up my mind to write the GCE O levels. It was then the superintendent of prisons asked me to work in his house so that I can also prepare for this exam. I was so happy but, unfortunately, I could not concentrate I was doing virtually all the work in the house, ranging from going to market, baby sitting, cleaning the house etc. Even in the night when I could read...I had to sleep with the baby...Well, I went and visited once and I was asked to park my things and go back to the prison. That is when I knew I will not be permitted to write the G.C.E O’levels (Vera).
When writing public examinations in prison books are, of course, of paramount importance. The prison authorities showed me the prison library at PA while one of the research participants confirmed that there is a library at Mfou Women’s prison. These libraries, which may be found in some of the prisons, may more aptly be described as bookshelves with a few books and not really a library (see Photograph 7 below). In addition, not one of the research participants at PA was aware that there was a prison library and they were surprised when I asked why they did not use their leisure time for reading. When I asked the staff member in charge of the library why the women did not know there was a library, he said they are not interested although he indicated that male inmates had been using the library, thus giving the
161
impression that women do not like reading and reinforcing preconceived assumptions about women and gender construction.
Photograph7: Library PA (FP July 2009)
There are very few programmes available in prisons and even those that are offered in order to generate income die out after a short time because of the embezzlement of state funds and the problem of corruption which is endemic in Cameroon prisons. A research participant explained that there are no psychosocial (e.g. to combat depression) programmes because of the lack of staff:
The few social workers that are there, sometimes they will not even have an office, sometimes the will is not there and sometimes their programmes are not well structured because the social welfare system in the country is not well planned. The school where they are trained have very few experts. Rather than training social workers to really have the degrees or the education and come back and teach the older personnel, the teachers prefer to go and do three month courses in social work and pose to be social workers. These are the people who would have probably made a difference in the prison to show the government that more workers like psychologists and psychiatrists are needed in the prisons (Prison administrator PA).
The prison authorities also need to be educated to be able to impart knowledge to the female inmates, since “you cannot give what you do not have”. It would appear that education in
162
Cameroon prisons is a privilege rather than a right. This, in turn, explains why, when a female inmate was asked what her major concern was in prison, she said:
I do not think prison is advisable for women…I do not see any change upon the women in PB. If they want to send women to prison, they should send them where they could be educated and learn a trade. What I see in this prison is that prisoners become more stubborn than they were when they came, rather than being transformed. There is no change because the only correction they give is beating and that cannot help the prisoners. I believe women should be in a place where they can come out having learnt a lesson (Grace).
According to this research participant female inmates leave prison worse off than when they came because the prisons lack education and training programmes. This differential treatment in respect of women resonates with both the chivalry hypothesis and with current debates on alternative sentencing for women criminals as postulated in the theory chapter. According to the chivalry hypothesis, which is embedded in the discourse of criminal justice scholars, because women are viewed as weak and irrational, in general, law enforcers and the criminal justice system treat them in a more lenient manner than men (Grabe, Trager, Leah & Rauch 2006; Flowers 1987; Anderson 1976; Pollak 1950). Much of this bias is based on judicial paternalism in terms of which female criminals need to be protected.
The above concern voiced by the female inmate also falls within the ambit of the debate on alternative sentencing which is gender specific and which is based on the argument that much needs to be done to divert low-level, offending women not just from court but also from prosecution (Corston Report 2006; Bastick & Brett 2005; Taylor 2004). This was the same treatment which another research participant suggested should be used for the youth and the elderly:
They should consider the youths who have not had their own future and give them alternative punishment. Also the elderly should be considered because they are helpless. When they are imprisoned they disturb us in the cell. We are the ones who put water for them to bath and give them water to drink. Why should prisoners be given a second punishment? (Therese).
163
The underlying message which the female inmates have for the prison administration is that alternative sentencing is necessary for specific groups of prisoners, namely, the young, the pregnant, nursing mothers and the elderly. In addition, there should be provision made for those who have been going to school to continue with their studying. According to these inmates “if everybody is busy the crime wave within the cell also will reduce”.