After providing criminal justice practitioners with information about the distinctive needs of female veterans and their involvement in the criminal justice system, this paper describes gender-informed and trauma-informed approaches that criminal justice practitioners can use for the effective management of this population.
Several challenges frequently face veterans returning to civilian life after participation in combat zones. These challenges include the resumption of parenting responsibilities; finding employment and housing; issues of physical health; and substance abuse and mental health problems. In 2004, the U.S. Justice Department estimated that veterans composed approximately 10 percent of those serving time in State and Federal prisons, with about 1 percent being women veterans, i.e., approximately 1,400 women. When addressing the needs of these women, attention must be given to parenting and child care, unemployment, housing and homelessness, substance abuse and co-occurring disorders, and trauma exposure. The latter may include childhood and/or adulthood abuse, combat trauma, and trauma from sexual assault while in the military. This paper outlines considerations for using a gender-responsive risk/needs and strengths assessment for working with all justice-involved women, as well as additional considerations for working with justice-involved women veterans.