Recommended Reading

Date	Title	Type
2009	Substance Abuse Treatment: Addressing the Specific Needs of Women Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Division of Services Improvement. Quality Improvement and Workforce Development Branch (Rockville, MD). “This TIP endorses a biopsychosociocultural framework based on clinical practice and research centered on women. By placing emphasis on the importance of context, many topics examine the role of factors that influence women’s substance use from initiation of use to engagement of continuing care treatment services, i.e., relationships, gender socialization, and culture. The knowledge and models presented here are grounded in women’s experiences, built on women’s strengths, and based on best, prom... Read More	390 pages
2009	Outcome Evaluation of the Women Offender Case Management Model in Connecticut Probation National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). Orbis Partners, Inc. (Ottawa, Ontario). “The outcome evaluation [for the Women Offender Case Management Model (WOCMM) implemented in Connecticut probation] focuses on determining whether participation in the project reduces future involvement in the criminal justice system as measured by recidivism over a fixed length follow-up period. The outcome evaluation employs a comparison group to determine if participants have more positive outcomes than a group of women with similar characteristics who were not exposed to the model” (p. 1). R... Read More	17 p.
2012	Improving Access to Services for Female Offenders Returning to the Community By Garcia, Marie; Ritter, Nancy. National Institute of Justice (Washington, DC). “As a group, women are often overlooked with regard to re-entry programming, and results from the recent evaluation of the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) showed that adult females reported a significantly higher need for services than men. This finding highlights a thread running through the re-entry literature that suggests a disconnect between the services individuals need to facilitate a successful re-entry into their community and the services they receive” (p. 18). ... Read More	6 pages
2011	Women and Trauma: A Working Document Federal Partners Committee on Women and Trauma (Washington, DC). Individuals concerned with violence perpetrated against women and girls in our society need to read this report. A new way to address trauma in any setting, called trauma-informed care, is described, noting that it is “a way for different agencies and groups to come together around a common concern…The report provides an introduction to the key issues facing each participating agency, with statistics documenting the impact of violence against women and girls on their mission and information on h... Read More	79 pages
2010	Employment and Female Offenders: An Update of the Empirical Research By Flower, Shawn M.. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). “The purpose of this bulletin is to explore the literature and summarize the empirical evidence related to the impact of employment on the criminal behavior of women” (p. 2). Sections comprising this publication are: female offender demographics; barriers to employment—overview, the role of the family and the community, time-management skills, and the role of agency; correctional education and vocational programs—education programs, vocational/technical programs, overall effectiveness of these p... Read More	24 pages
2008	Achieving Accurate Pictures of Risk and Identifying Gender Responsive Needs: Two New Assessments for Women Offenders By Van Voorhis, Patricia; Salisbury, Emily; Wright, Emily; Bauman, Ashley. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). The development of new risk/needs assessments specifically designed for female offenders is discussed. This report is comprised of these sections: The case for women's needs; Development of new assessments; Construction validation research; Full instruments; Implementation considerations; Obtaining the gender-responsive assessments; And conclusion. ... Read More	26 p.
2005	A Summary of Research, Practice, and Guiding Principles for Women Offenders. The Gender-Responsive Strategies Project: Approach and Findings By Bloom, Barbara; Owen, Barbara; Covington, Stephanie. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). Reviews information on gender-specific policies, programs, and services in corrections. Topics covered by this bulletin include: the Gender-Responsive Strategies Project -- approach and findings; defining gender responsiveness; national profile of women offenders; the foundation for the principles a new vision -- six guiding principles for a gender-responsive criminal justice system; general strategies for implementing guiding principles; gender-responsive policy elements; and conclusion -- add... Read More	12 p.
2008	Breaking Cycles, Rebuilding Lives: Gender Analysis of Programs & Services for Incarcerated Women in Santa Clara County U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance (Washington, DC). Santa Clara County Dept. of Correction. Office of Women's Policy (San Jose, CA). "[T]o what degree programs and services meet the needs and life circumstances of female inmates" is assessed by the Santa Clara County Women's Advocacy initiative (p. 4). Sections contained in this report include: executive summary; Solution 14 -- the Women's Advocacy Initiative; what works for women -- gender responsive theory and practice; the Gender Analysis Process; incarceration statistics; profile of local female inmates; local concerns about women's incarceration; programs in eight Calif... Read More	52 p.
2001	Correctional Health Care: Women Offenders [Lesson Plans and Participant's Manual]; Prison Health Care: Women Offenders National Institute of Corrections Academy (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections. Prisons Division (Washington, DC). The unique challenges of providing health care to women incarcerated in adult facilities are discussed during this 20-hour training program. Sections of this manual cover: objectives and overview; managing women offenders; litigation issues; health issues; mental health issues; creating infrastructure; substance abuse and women; co-occurring; infectious diseases; crisis intervention; and final action plans.... Read More	2 v. (v.1 - ca. 185 p., v.2 - ca. 175 p.)
2004	Developing Gender-Specific Classification Systems for Women Offenders By Hardyman, Patricia L.; Van Voorhis, Patricia. National Institute of Corrections. Prisons Division (Washington, DC). George Washington University. Institute on Crime, Justice and Corrections (Washington, DC); University of Cincinnati. Center for Criminal Justice Research (Cincinnati, OH); National Institute of Corrections. Prisons Division (Washington, DC). A report which highlights the results of two cooperative agreements from the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) addressing the critical need for gender-specific objective classification systems is presented.  Following an executive summary are six chapters: introduction; classification issues for women offenders--the literature; NIC Prisons Division--womens classification initiatives (e.g., National Assessment of Current Practices for Classifying Women Offenders and Working With Correc... Read More	81 p.
2000	Directory of Community-Based Programs for Women Offenders By Harding, B.G.; Clem, Constance. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). LIS, Inc. (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections Information Center (Longmont, CO). There are 250 programs developed to specifically meet women offenders' needs described within this directory. Program entries include information regarding: program name and contact; jurisdiction it participates under; launch date; mode of delivery; participant legal status; target population; number of clients; program format; length of program; program hours/week; specialized assessment in use; issues addressed within program; issues addressed through referral; evaluation status; data used in ... Read More	256 p.
2001	Female Offenders in the Community [Videoconference Held July 18, 2001] National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). This video examines the needs, strengths, weaknesses, and risks associated with female offenders. Topics discussed include: The unique and complex issues surrounding female offenders; Barriers that female offenders encounter in the community; Techniques and skills for effecting positive change; Outside resources to assist in supervision; And the challenges and rewards of working with female offenders.... Read More	1 DVD (162 min.)
2008	Gendered Violence and Safety: A Contextual Approach to Improving Security in Women's Facilities By Owen, Barbara; Wells, James; Pollock, Joycelyn; Muscat, Bernadette; Torres, Stephanie. National Institute of Justice (Washington, DC). "In response to the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA), this project . . . examined the context and correlates of both violence and safety in correctional facilities for women" (p. 1). This report is divided into three parts after an abstract and executive summary: Part I, entitled "Gendered Violence and Safety: Improving Security in Women's Facilities," contains the chapters introduction, literature review, gendered violence in women's prisons and jails, and policy implications and re... Read More	441 p.
2006	Responding to Women Offenders: The Department of Women's Justice Services in Cook County, Illinois By Berman, Judy. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). The development and implementation of the Cook County Sheriff's Department of Women's Justice Services (DWJS) is discussed. This bulletin is comprised of these sections: introduction; background; the decisionmaking process; decision point mapping example -- custody/release; creating the DWJS; gender-responsive innovations; meeting the healthcare needs of women offenders in Cook County; and challenges and accomplishments.... Read More	8 p.
2000	Sentencing Women Offenders: A Training Curriculum for Judges [Lesson Plans] By Cicero, June H.; DeCostanzo, Elaine T.. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). National Association of Women Judges (Washington, DC); National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). Intervention effectiveness can be improved by understanding how women respond to sanctions. This 6-hour course addressed sentencing practices in relation to female offenders through the following modules: why focus on women offenders?; the judicial response to the woman offender; who women offenders are; what works, what is in place, and what do programs in the represented jurisdictions offer?; sanctioning the woman offender; what do we have and what do we need?; and wrap-up session and evaluati... Read More	92 p.
2002	Services for Families of Prison Inmates National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). LIS, Inc. (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections Information Center (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections. Prisons Division (Washington, DC). Responses from 54 agencies that answered this survey are analyzed and reported. The following sections are contained in this report: introduction; project method; agency initiatives related to families of inmates; facility assignment and visitation assistance; services for inmates with children; services to pregnant inmates and mothers of infants and young children; provision of parenting and parent-child programs in men's and women's prisons; program evaluations; and conclusion. Involvement in ... Read More	15 p.
2002	Staffing Analysis for Women's Prisons and Special Prison Populations By Harding, B.G.. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). LIS, Inc. (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections Information Center (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections. Prisons Division (Washington, DC). Results from an examination of "staffing analysis processes and staffing outcomes in prisons or units housing three inmate populations" are presented (p. 1). Sections of this report include: project method; key findings; themes in staffing and staffing analysis; methods and outcomes; staffing for mentally ill populations; staffing for medical needs populations; staffing for women's facilities; and conclusion. The same formal staffing analysis process used for the male general population is utili... Read More	12 p.
2012	State Standards for Pregnancy-Related Health Care and Abortion for Women in Prison - Map American Civil Liberties Union (New York, NY). “Thousands of [incarcerated] women are pregnant and dependent on correctional authorities for their health care, and correctional authorities are legally obligated to meet those needs. Whether an incarcerated woman decides to continue her pregnancy to term or have an abortion, she has a constitutionally protected right to obtain appropriate medical care … Presented here are the results of research to identify pregnancy-specific correctional policies posted on state department of corrections webs... Read More
2005	Supervision of Women Defendants and Offenders in the Community By Sydney, Linda. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). The use of gender-responsive strategies with women involved in the community corrections system is explained. Sections comprising this report are: what community corrections is; what gender-responsiveness for women offenders in community corrections is; definition of gender-responsiveness for women in the criminal justice system; summary of gender-responsive research; characteristics of women offenders in the criminal justice system (e.g., types of offenses, substance abuse, health, children an... Read More	24 p.
2012	Ten Truths that Matter When Working with Justice Involved Women By Ney, Becki, editor; Ramirez, Rachelle, editor; Dieten, Marilyn van, editor. U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance (Washington, DC). National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women (Washington, DC). “This document reviews ten truths about justice involved women—gleaned from the research over the last few decades —that must be recognized if we are to successfully manage this population, achieve greater reductions in recidivism, and improve public safety outcomes. It is our hope that by understanding these truths, criminal justice policymakers and practitioners will be more aware of gender differences and take steps to enhance their approaches to managing justice involved women” (p. iii). So... Read More	22 pages
2005	The Gender-Responsive Strategies Project: Jail Applications By McCampbell, Susan W.. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). Current research about women offenders and strategies for evaluating current operating procedures related to women offenders are covered. Sections of this bulletin include: introduction; women in jail -- their numbers and characteristics; the Gender-Responsive Strategies project -- approach and findings; six gender-responsive guiding principles -- implications for jail administrators; jail classification and gender-responsive strategies for implementation in a jail setting; challenges and how t... Read More	27 p.
2006	Women Offender Case Management Model National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). Orbis Partners, Inc. (Ottawa, Ontario). The gender-responsive Women Offender Case Management Model (WOCMM) is described. This document covers: the history of the project; philosophy and core practices; process incorporating four core elements (e.g., engage and assess, enhance motivation, implement the case plan, and review progress); preparing for implementation; and evaluation.... Read More	66 p.

Related Resources

Date	Title	Type
2000	Directory of Community-Based Programs for Women Offenders By Harding, B.G.; Clem, Constance. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). LIS, Inc. (Longmont, CO); National Institute of Corrections Information Center (Longmont, CO). There are 250 programs developed to specifically meet women offenders' needs described within this directory. Program entries include information regarding: program name and contact; jurisdiction it participates under; launch date; mode of delivery; participant legal status; target population; number of clients; program format; length of program; program hours/week; specialized assessment in use; issues addressed within program; issues addressed through referral; evaluation status; data used in ... Read More	256 p.
2001	Female Offenders in the Community [Videoconference Held July 18, 2001] National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). This video examines the needs, strengths, weaknesses, and risks associated with female offenders. Topics discussed include: The unique and complex issues surrounding female offenders; Barriers that female offenders encounter in the community; Techniques and skills for effecting positive change; Outside resources to assist in supervision; And the challenges and rewards of working with female offenders.... Read More	1 DVD (162 min.)
1992	Female Offenders in the Community: An Analysis of Innovative Strategies and Programs By Austin, James; Bloom, Barbara; Donahue, Trish. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). National Council on Crime and Delinquency (San Francisco, CA); National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). This report describes various strategies and programs that appear to provide effective community supervision and/or treatment of female offenders. It describes the results of a national survey of public and private community programs that supervise female offenders. Additionally, the report discusses the pertinent issues, needs, and problems of this population. Along with describing various programs, the report assesses positive aspects of these programs from their objectives through follow-up a... Read More	82 p.
1995	Intermediate Sanctions for Women Offenders National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). Oregon Dept. of Corrections. Intermediate Sanctions for Women Offenders Policy Group (Salem, OR). The Intermediate Sanctions for Women Offenders Policy Group compiled and analyzed qualitative and quantitative information on women offenders, the criminal justice decision making process, and programming resources available to women offenders in Oregon. This document describes the project process and presents the Policy Group's findings, observations, and recommendations. Topics covered include: supervision, probation, parole, trend data, offender demographics, and staff training.... Read More	100 p.
2005	Supervision of Women Defendants and Offenders in the Community By Sydney, Linda. National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). The use of gender-responsive strategies with women involved in the community corrections system is explained. Sections comprising this report are: what community corrections is; what gender-responsiveness for women offenders in community corrections is; definition of gender-responsiveness for women in the criminal justice system; summary of gender-responsive research; characteristics of women offenders in the criminal justice system (e.g., types of offenses, substance abuse, health, children an... Read More	24 p.
2006	Women Offender Case Management Model National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). Orbis Partners, Inc. (Ottawa, Ontario). The gender-responsive Women Offender Case Management Model (WOCMM) is described. This document covers: the history of the project; philosophy and core practices; process incorporating four core elements (e.g., engage and assess, enhance motivation, implement the case plan, and review progress); preparing for implementation; and evaluation.... Read More	66 p.
2009	Outcome Evaluation of the Women Offender Case Management Model in Connecticut Probation National Institute of Corrections (Washington, DC). Orbis Partners, Inc. (Ottawa, Ontario). “The outcome evaluation [for the Women Offender Case Management Model (WOCMM) implemented in Connecticut probation] focuses on determining whether participation in the project reduces future involvement in the criminal justice system as measured by recidivism over a fixed length follow-up period. The outcome evaluation employs a comparison group to determine if participants have more positive outcomes than a group of women with similar characteristics who were not exposed to the model” (p. 1). R... Read More	17 p.

Browse Library Topics

• Women in community corrections
• Women in jails
• Women in prisons
• Women Offenders
• Women prisoners-statistics
• Female offenders
• Inmate mothers
• Female offender programs

• Webinar: Collaborative Case Work
• Correcting Corrections for Women
• Criminal Justice Conversations with David Onek: SF Chief Adult Probation Officer Wendy Still
• Research on Women Offenders-Justice Policy Center-The Urban Institute-DC Public Safety Radio
• National Women's Prison Project: A Program of Practical Hope
• A Model for Female Correctional Design
• The Women Moving Forward Conference
• The Impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Adults
• National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women
• Women's Risk Needs Assessment Project
• Center for Women and Justice
• Women's Prison Association, Inc.
• National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated
• Girl Scouts Beyond Bars

Available Training Opportunities

• Starts Jun. 17, 2013 - Operational Practice in the Management of Women's Prisons
  In addition to receiving traditional classroom instruction, participants in Operational Practices in the Management of Women’s Prisons will explore the operation of a women’s facility and analyze operations from a gender informed perspective.
• Available Online - Workforce Development and Women Offenders
  This e-course is intended for individuals working or volunteering in prisons, jails, community corrections, community and faith-based organizations, U.S. Department of Labor One-Stops, and other governmental organizations such as health and human services who are interested in workforce development issues specific to women offenders.