Reentry Programs for Women Inmates

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For years, practitioners in just about every field took research conducted primarily with male subjects and applied the findings to women. Recently, however, researchers have begun to question the applicability of those findings to women — and the answer has been mixed.

One area in which the applicability of gender-neutral data has come under scrutiny is corrections. A recent report of the National Institute of Corrections states that, at the same time that the number of female inmates has been increasing significantly, the criminal justice system has too often—and with difficulty—tried to implement with women inmates “policies and procedures that...[were] designed for male offenders.” This practice may be ineffective because studies show that female inmates must overcome unique social, emotional, and physical challenges that impede their ability to integrate smoothly back into society following a period of incarceration.

Change is now well under way. Inmate rehabilitation programs are being developed specifically for female inmates. Older programs originally designed for male inmatesare being evaluated to see how appropriate they are for incarcerated women.

NIJ studies looked at drug addiction treat- ment and other rehabilitation programs for female inmates in various jurisdictions. These studies point out the distinct treatment needs of female inmates and examine ways that programs addressing these unique require- ments can help women successfully reenter society after incarceration.