NCJ Number
81138
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 28 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1982) Pages: 40-51
Date Published
1982
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This 7-month study examined structural and programmatic factors impeding delivery of community services to women released from a local jail in a western city.
Abstract
Interviews were held with 66 female inmates sentenced to jail terms ranging from 10 days to 1 year. Most were chronic petty offenders with a history of prior jail sentences. Half the inmates were black, and most were in their twenties. Educational, vocational, and social service programs in the women's facility were minimal, and the women were frequently overlooked when assistance was provided inmates by jail personnel. Those women who received referrals to community resources or who were knowledgeable about such resources encountered barriers when they attempted to make use of the available services (employment services, vocational training, drug treatment, etc.). Class and sex bias, a lack of funding, for community services, and the general unreponsiveness of community agencies were some of the service barriers that may be the cause of high recidivism rates among women released from the jail. Those community programs oriented toward women were tailored to meet the needs of middle-class rather than economically disadvantaged and ex-offender women. Recommendations and 13 footnotes are included.