NCJ Number
205853
Date Published
2003
Length
37 pages
Annotation
This chapter identifies the distinctive needs of female inmates and suggests how they can be better served in prison and in the community after release so as to increase the chance of successful reintegration.
Abstract
Although the rate of incarceration for women continues to be far lower than the rate for men, since 1980 the number of women imprisoned in the United States has increased at a rate nearly double the rate for men. Women are arrested and incarcerated primarily for property and drug offenses. Most women in the criminal justice system are poor, undereducated, and unskilled; they are disproportionately women of color. The link between female criminality and drug use is strong, with research indicating that women who use drugs are more likely to be involved in crime. Abusive families and battering relationships are also typical in the lives of female offenders. Women's pathways to crime frequently stem from relationships with men who usher them into drug use and associated crime. The recurring themes of relationship and family dominate the behaviors and needs of women. Policymakers and corrections officials who plan for and provide gender-responsive services for female offenders should consider two primary issues, i.e., the role of motherhood and the interrelationship between substance abuse, trauma, and mental health issues. The development of effective gender-responsive services should provide for an environment that caters to the experiences and needs of women. Such an environment should promote belonging, safety, openness, participation and citizenship, and empowerment. In addition to providing an in-prison environment that meets women's needs, the plan for reentry should also address the distinctive needs of female offenders. This chapter presents examples of interventions that can be used at various points within the criminal justice system and in community-based services. The models profiled encompass both programs and agency operations. Women who have successfully reentered the community after release from prison have noted the importance of relationships with listening and caring people, relationships with other supportive women who act as role models, proper assessment/classification, well-trained staff, proper medication, efforts to reduce trauma and revictimization, financial resources, and safe environments. In addition, there must be job training, education, substance abuse and mental health treatment, and parenting programs. 101 references