Women at the Shakopee Minnesota Women's Correctional Facility are being denied basic rights that are afforded to men in other Minnesota correctional facilities. 

Officially these policies are enforced on everyone, but in practice, these are only used to dehumanize, terrorize, and harm the women incarcerated in Shakopee prison.  

1. The limited touch policy is only enforced only at Shakopee. Women are only allowed to fist bump, high five,  or pat on the shoulder. No such policy exists at the men’s prisons. At the core of this policy lies outdated beliefs about the differences between male and female sexuality. Women who violate this policy are sent to segregation for “a sexual”. In short, the policy assumes that touch between women is sexual and homosexual while the same touch between men is non-sexual and heterosexual. The imposition of this assumption on incarcerated women is dehumanizing and harmful. What does it do to someone to not be able to get a hug when their mom dies? To not be comforted by a held hand? To not be able to braid someone's hair like they do in men's prisons? There is no need to criminalize all touch to prevent inappropriate touch between women, and there's a whole federal law, the Prison Rape Elimination Act for that purpose.  

2. Women are not allowed to pass items, even to share food in the cafeteria, share health or beauty products, or make food for each other. This criminalizes women for helping each other out, or creating positive culture. Passing drugs are disallowed by other policies, end the "criminalizing sharing" policy, immediately. 

3. Card reader machines were removed from Shakopee, because maintenance "got tired" years ago, making it impossible for women to check their available funds. It is crucial to know how much money you have to buy hygiene, food, medical, and writing materials, especially as canteen is down to $40 a week and is constantly having errors or refunds due to lack of supplies. Yet in men's facilities you can put your card on the reader and know your balance at any time. 

4. Women need to be able to use the gym for good mental health and physical relief. Half of the time the gym is closed. The reason given is staff shortage. However, camera’s are in place and there’s a staff desk not far from the gym, that is staffed at all times. More time’s than not two staff are hanging out at the desk.

These discrepancies in practice are discriminatory against women and must be addressed immediately -- end the limited touch and no passing policy, and redeploy card readers at Shakopee Prison. 

Sign this petition if you believe that all inmates should have equal rights regardless of gender!