Women Offenders and the Gendered Effects of Public Policy¹

Abstract

At 17%, women represent a significant proportion of all offenders under criminal justice supervision in the US. Drawing on the findings from their report, “Gender‐Responsive Strategies: Research, Practice, and Guiding Principles for Women Offenders,” the authors maintain that public policy has ignored the context of women's lives and that women offenders have disproportionately suffered from the impact of ill‐informed public policy. This discussion of the implications of gender within the criminal justice system is based on a simple assumption: responding to the differences between women and men in criminal behavior and to their antecedents is critical to gender‐responsive policy. Building on the pathway theoretical perspective, we find that in addition to the gendered impact of the war on drugs, policy changes in welfare reform, housing, and other social policy arenas combine to create a disparate impact on drug abusing women and women of color. Key policy areas affecting the lives of women offenders and their children include welfare benefits, drug treatment, housing, education, employment, and reunification with children. We conclude that addressing the realities of women's lives through gender‐responsive policy and programs is fundamental to improved outcomes at all criminal justice phases. A blueprint for gender‐responsive policy development is described through six guiding principles and their policy implications.

Cumulative Sexual Victimization and Mental Health Outcomes Among Incarcerated Women

“…If sexual trauma is a strain that leads some women on a pathway to prison (Owen, 1998;Sharp, 2014), then intervention and treatment may help to prevent future offending (Bloom, Owen & Covington, 2004;Covington, 2003). Perhaps, high schools or middle schools could offer some type of support to girls who have been victimized to prevent strains that may lead to future victimization and other negative outcomes that stem from experiencing sexual trauma (Schilling & Aseltine, 2007).…”

“…Incarcerated women are more likely to be involved with mental health services before incarceration and have more psychological problems than women in the community (Asberg & Renk, 2012;Bloom, Owen & Covington, 2004). Nationally, about 18% of the American population suffers from a mental illness (SAMSHA, 2014).…”

“…Stephanie Covington and Barbara Bloom (2003) point out the need to "do no harm" (p. 10) in the criminal justice system, proposing we must be aware of the additional damage that prison can do to women with histories of victimization (Covington & Bloom, 2003). For example, the regular operating procedures and dynamics of a prison can re-trigger PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in traumatized women, feeding the powerlessness that many women felt prior to incarceration (Marcus-Mendoza & Wright, 2003;Bloom, Owen & Covington, 2004;Covington & Bloom, 2003;Heney & Kristiansen, 1998). Furthermore, the power matrix of the correctional system, a mostly male-run and operated institution, can reinforce the gendered order of males dominating and victimizing females (Heney & Kristiansen, 1998).…”

Transcendental Meditation and Reduced Trauma Symptoms in Female Inmates: A Randomized Controlled Study

“…1 Along with the increasing confinement of female offenders, researchers have found that women carry the burden of proportionally high amounts of traumatic experiences, with higher rates of emotional trauma and sexual abuse than do men. [2][3][4][5] Rates of childhood abuse among incarcerated women also are elevated compared with women in the general population. 4,6,7 One estimate indicates 75% to 90% of incarcerated women as having a trauma event during their lifetime.…”

“…[2][3][4][5] Rates of childhood abuse among incarcerated women also are elevated compared with women in the general population. 4,6,7 One estimate indicates 75% to 90% of incarcerated women as having a trauma event during their lifetime. 8 High levels of trauma contribute to poor lifestyle choices, psychological and physical comorbidities, and increased risk of recidivism.…”