NCJ Number
145670
Date Published
1993
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This report presents a strategy to help released women inmates successfully resettle in the community.
Abstract
Compared to men, women have special difficulties in resettling in the community after release from prison. They are usually the primary caregivers for children and elderly relatives; their potential earnings are still, on average, less than three-quarters of male earnings; and while they were imprisoned, most of the stable elements of their lives in the community deteriorated or ended. The basic elements of resettlement support are still not in place for female ex-offenders in Great Britain. Women can leave prison with nowhere to live, no work, and no place or person to turn to for advice and support. A strategy to help women after release should minimize the damage of imprisonment by maintaining links to the inmate's family and the outside world. Prison administrators should ensure that the time spent in prison prepares inmates for a constructive life after release. Also, programs should be in place to ensure support and stability for women and their families in the community after release.