Final answer:
The treatment of female inmates and the general populace within prisons reflects a range of issues discussed in social studies, including gender, race, and socio-economic status. The terms Heffernan references point to academic and public discourse on how law enforcement systems function and evolve, influenced by activism, historical events, and societal attitudes towards crime and punishment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The discussion surrounding female inmates and the broader treatment of prisoners within the criminal justice system spans several complex issues. Heffernan's identification of three terms used to describe female inmates nods to the nuanced, and often contentious, views on incarceration. Debates over the treatment of inmates encapsulate arguments from needing harsher penalties to deter crime, to critiquing the system for being inequitable across different demographics—particularly in racial terms. Angela Davis, a scholar and activist, highlights these disparities by coining the term 'prison-industrial complex' to describe the systemic issues within American law enforcement. Additionally, historical contexts, such as the treatment of suffragettes, who were force-fed during hunger strikes while jailed, and modern debates over the death penalty and life imprisonment for minors show the evolving nature of society's approach to incarceration. The conversation also extends to gender differences in initiating negotiations and the broader socio-economic penalties that compound the experiences of those within the prison system. Studies like those by Bowles, Babcock, and Lai, and labor market analyses by Carruthers and Wanamaker, reinforce these discussions about social incentives and disparities.