The National Institute of Corrections, in partnership with the Women's Prison Association, has developed The National Directory of Programs for Women with Criminal Justice Involvement. Learn more about the directory through the "Online Resources" sidebar in the right column of this page (second link from the top).
The number of justice-involved women has skyrocketed -- at rates exceeding men. Their entry into the criminal justice system, offense patterns, and levels of risk often follow a different path than men and require more targeted approaches. Correctional administrators need to understand and address these differences to improve outcomes for women offenders.
Assistance is available to local jurisdictions wishing to examine and improve their responses to this population. Agencies with sole or shared responsibility for managing women who come in contact with the criminal justice system can apply for limited, short-term technical assistance. Assistance may focus on women's pathways to criminal behavior and gender-responsive practices that improve outcomes in the community.
Agencies can also request technical assistance for reviewing current practices and identifying areas that require the design of more gender-responsive decision making processes, assessment tools, and program interventions that accomplish the jurisdiction's public policy goals.
With few exceptions, every policy, program and practice impacts women across the corrections continuum (pre-trial, jails, prisons and community corrections.) As the range of topics is so broad, you will find below a list of topics and additional resources. Find a topic, click, and there will be a number of items of interest.
A special thanks goes to Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for the photograph.
Click on the image of Patti Wachtendorf to watch her discuss her story about becoming the first female warden of Iowa's toughest prison.
Learn more about the Women’s Correctional Safety Scales Toolkit
Available for use in correctional agencies housing women in prison and jail settings.
- NIC Justice Involved Women's Initiative brochure
- Hot Topic: Staff supervision and interaction with justice-involved women
- Hot Topic: What are trauma-informed practices with justice-involved women?
- Hot Topic: How Can I Find Your National Directory of Programs for Women with Criminal Justice Involvement?
- Women in Prison: Seeking Justice Behind Bars
- National Directory of Programs for Women with Criminal Justice Involvement
- The National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated
- National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women
- Women's Prison Association