When a woman gets sick in prison, the experience is very different from the outside world. Access to doctors can involve long waits, family notifications may come suddenly through prison officials, and serious illness can lead to transfers far from home to specialized medical prisons. In this article, Katrina McLarin explores the often unseen reality of healthcare for women in prison camps — and what happens when illness, or even terminal diagnosis, occurs behind the fence.

Women in U.S. federal prison camps are often labeled “minimum security,” yet the mental-health impact of incarceration tells a very different story. National data shows women in federal custody experience significantly higher levels of psychological distress than men, driven by trauma histories, family separation, and limited access to consistent care. While the U.S. Bureau of Prisons has introduced trauma-informed programs and women-focused initiatives, access and continuity remain uneven. At Women of Worth, we believe mental health care behind bars is not optional—it is essential to dignity, rehabilitation, and lasting change beyond release.

During the holiday season, when connection matters most, women in federal prison camps often face profound isolation. A simple card, letter, or approved email can become a lifeline — a reminder that they are seen, valued, and not forgotten. WOW Chairperson Katrina McLarin shares why reaching out matters, drawing on lived experience and insights from Camp Confidential – Beyond the Bars Podcast, including the powerful “You’ve Got Mail” episode, were Cheryl Womack highlights how contact sustains hope, dignity, and morale when visitation isn’t possible.

Women in U.S. prisons are facing a crisis of safety, dignity, and neglect. Recent cases of staff abuse, rising incarceration rates, and deep racial disparities reveal a system failing some of the country’s most vulnerable women. Their stories—long overlooked—are finally coming to light, demanding accountability and reform.

Recent data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Prison Policy Initiative shows that nearly 190,000 women and girls are currently behind bars across the United States. While women account for only about 10 percent of the total prison population, their rate of incarceration has surged more than 600 percent since the 1980s.

What happens when a successful entrepreneur finds herself facing federal prison? In How To Go To Camp, V. Cheryl Womack shares her powerful journey from building a business empire to navigating life inside a women’s federal prison camp.

Telling the Untold Story of Cheryl Womack’s Journey Through a Federal Prison Camp—Season One Based on Her Book How to Go to Camp.