Understanding Women in Prison: A Review of Gender Specific Needs and Risk Assessments and their Policy and Research Implications

Abstract

In the last 30 years, the number of women in the criminal justice system has risen significantly, yet the criminal justice system still bases much of its policy on empirical research conducted using a majority of male subjects. Risk and need assessments, which are generally used to categorize inmates into varying risk levels to lower recidivism, have been faulted by many feminist scholars for having little pertinence for women. Their lack of gender sensitive factors has left many scholars questioning their validity. Available correctional programs are based on the knowledge collected by these "gender neutral" assessments. Therefore, female offenders are not receiving rehabilitation that is relevant to their lives. This paper examines the context of female offenders, the theoretical framework of criminality and gender, the current understanding of gender specific needs, and the application of Risk and need assessments, specifically the LSI-R (Levels of Service Inventory-Revised), and their consequences. Although there is some overlap between the factors that predict recidivism of men and women, the lack of data specifically to women has resulted in a lack or resources for women. This paper concludes with suggestions for further research into the risk levels and assessments and changing correctional policy in order to distribute resources to better serve the needs of women.

La relevancia de la mirada y la palabra en las estrategias de intervención de trabajo social

“…que suma a su angustia e incertidumbre sobre quién cuidará de ellas/os. Se considera que estas condiciones pueden emerger en depresión, estrés, ansiedad o síntomas psicóticos (Ortíz, 2015;Barlow, 2014;Boledón, 2012;Currie, 2012;Melis, 2010).…”

Internalizing Disabilities Among Incarcerated Girls From Mexico and the United States

“…Gender has the function of constituting concrete individuals as men and women (De Lauretis, 1989), it supposes a form of ordering in social life through social practices articulated to defined social structures; this allows understanding of why women and men experience the emotional affections differently. It is known that due to socialization and cultural expectations about women, they may experience depression, stress, anxiety, or psychotic symptoms more frequently (Barlow, 2014;Boledón González, 2012;Ortiz Toledano, 2015).…”