Brief Gender-Responsive Programming in Women's Prisons
Olivia Stuart, Evelyn F. McCoy
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Women represent one of the fastest-growing groups among incarcerated people in the United States. Although prison populations have decreased since 2011 as local jurisdictions and state departments of corrections have implemented legislation and other strategies, these decreases have been less notable for women. Research has shown that there are gendered pathways to criminal legal system involvement, and that women are more likely than men to commit crimes in response to previous trauma and victimization. Researchers and practitioners have developed gender-responsive programming for people incarcerated in women’s prisons to address their unique needs and experiences. Gender-responsive programming is designed to provide interventions that address issues at the intersection of trauma and mental health disorders, substance abuse, and socioeconomic inequity. In this brief, we provide an overview of gender-responsive programming, share program examples and evidence-based outcomes, and suggest considerations for correctional staff, practitioners, and policymakers regarding how to effectively implement this type of programming. This brief is part of a larger research agenda for the Prison Research and Innovation Initiative, an effort to build evidence and spur innovation to make prisons more humane, safe, and rehabilitative environments for the people who are confined and work in them.

Research Areas Crime, justice, and safety Sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression
Tags Prisons Corrections
Policy Centers Justice Policy Center