Effective January 24th, consular officials now have the authority to deny a visitor visa if they have reason to believe the applicant intends to travel to the U.S. for the “primary purpose” of giving birth. Read the article here by Michael Herrera in Ms. Magazine …Read More >
Spotlight News
Former female inmate’s call for Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act
Women are the fastest growing prison population in the United States. Other than constituting yet another indication of how deeply flawed the American criminal justice system is, this fact has brought to light the incompetence of federal and private prisons in providing female inmates (particularly pregnant ones) proper medical care and protection from the rampant physical …Read More >
November 2019 InStepp Ambassador of the Month by Jana Steele Allen
Jessica Corey is a professor in the Thomas Writing Program at Duke University and is also the Program Coordinator for Graduate Student Instruction at Duke. After moving to Durham, she began looking for volunteer roles in which she could make a contribution and settled on the Communications and Social Media Volunteer opportunity at InStepp. Since the Spring of 2018. …Read More >
#MeToo Behind Bars: Records Shed Light on Sexual Abuse Inside State Women’s Prisons
State prison officials in California say they have been trying to improve conditions for female inmates in recent years, including enforcing a zero tolerance policy for sexual misconduct. To comply with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, prison officials investigate and track all allegations of sexual assault and harassment by staff, including correctional officers. …Read More >
Remember the Equal Rights Amendment? It’s time to amend history books and the constitution.
Our Constitution has been amended 27 times before to "fix" certain overlooked issues not thought of in 1787. There is no reason it can't be amended again to give a constitutional foundation for laws covering sex and domestic abuse, pregnancy discrimination and pay equity, among others. Read the article here by Carol Jenkins, CEO and co-president, ERA Coalition. …Read More >
October 2019 InStepp Ambassador of the Month by Jana Steele Allen
Sarah Forney and her husband moved to North Carolina permanently four years ago to raise their young son. She earned her undergraduate degree at UNC Wilmington where she also started a career as a financial advisor. Sarah joined the InStepp Board of Directors in 2017 . She also volunteers for the Brentwood Boys and Girls Club and has held a voluntary board position …Read More >