Women Offenders' Employment Needs: Research for a Gender-Informed Employment Strategy

• NCJ Number: 213430
• Journal: Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: June 2005 Pages: 25-28
• Author(s): Kendra Delveaux; Kelley Blanchette
• Date Published: June 2005
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

This study describes current employment programs and services available to Canada's Federal female offenders and examines aspects of women's employment history, needs, and interests.

Abstract

Study findings indicate that 137 of the 384 women housed in Federal correctional institutions (36 percent) had completed some type of educational or vocational training, either full-time (15 percent) or part-time (85 percent) by May 1, 2004. These 137 women had completed 285 education or training programs. Of all training programs listed (n=285), the most common program completed involved vocational training (54 percent), secondary education courses (22 percent), General Educational Development (7 percent), or employability skills/computer skills training courses (9 percent). The three most common types of vocational training courses completed by women offenders were Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System, Food Handling and Safety, and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. The majority of women offenders had employment-related needs at intake, and the women themselves acknowledged the importance of having their employment-related needs met in order to prevent reoffending. Women who were incarcerated or unemployed in the community at the time of this study reported that they intended to find a job and approximately half of those unemployed in the community reported that they were searching for a job at the time. However, only about half of incarcerated women and approximately one-fourth of unemployed women in the community believed that their chances of obtaining employment were good. These findings indicate the importance of implementing a national employment strategy designed specifically for Federal women offenders. Data for this study were obtained from Correctional Service Canada's automated Offender Management System. The data used provided a profile of the Federal female offender population on May 1, 2004. In addition, 92 female offenders in Federal institutions completed questions on their needs, interests, and perceptions related to current and future employment programming. 1 table and 10 notes