The Needs of Women Offenders in our Community

The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the number of Wisconsin citizens entering the criminal justice system. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there were 1,307 women incarcerated in Wisconsin during 2001, accounting for approximately 6% of Wisconsin's inmate population as of December 31, 2001. According to the latest Bureau of Justice Statistics, the average annual increase from 1995 to 2001 of women under the jurisdiction of the state of Wisconsin's correctional authorities was 17.3%, compared to a national average of only 5.2%. In Wisconsin, as in other states, the female incarceration rates are increasing faster than that of male incarceration rates.

Although there are fewer women than men in prison, they also traditionally bring more problems with them than men do. An overview of the demographics of women in prison in Wisconsin indicate that 82% have children, 70% met the criteria for alcohol and drug dependence, and 82% reported being a victim of abuse, either childhood sexual or physical abuse and/or adult sexual and physical abuse. In a recent study published in the International Community Corrections Association (ICCA) Journal (Saviano, 9/99) 961 women entering Wisconsin’s prison system were interviewed between August 1997 and January 1999, giving us an unprecedented view of our women’s prison population. Of the 961 women:

Women of color comprise 65% of this population

82% of women prisoners had children and 90% of these mothers had minor children

54% did not graduate from high school

Only 31% had ever held a job for over one year

Of striking importance is the fact that 69% of the 961 women met the criteria for alcohol and drug dependence, and 82% reported being a victim of abuse, either childhood sexual or physical abuse and/or adult sexual and physical abuse. Drugs have been documented as the common denominator for women and girls in the criminal justice system nationally. The 2001 study published by the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates that drug offenders account for the largest source of growth of the female prison population. National studies indicate that up to 80% of women offenders now have severe, long-standing substance abuse problems (CSAT, 1997).

The salient factors that propel women into crime include domestic violence, substance abuse, and the struggle of women to support themselves and their children (National Institute of Corrections, 2002). There is no dispute that women offenders have committed crimes. It is important, however, to recognize that these crimes are actually social issues. It is crucial that the link between crimes and each woman’s drug addiction, mental illness, and/or economic distress be acknowledged. (Stephanie Covington, Helping women recover: A program for treating substance abuse. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999).

According to the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute Report, approximately 37% of women offenders are re-incarcerated each year in our state. Recent research states that relapse in addicted offenders is a contributing factor to this high rate of recidivism (U.S. Department of Justice, 2000). In addition, women offenders constantly face barriers to securing adequate housing and often end up cohabitating with other felons, living in substandard housing, moving from friend to friend or living a vagrant lifestyle. All of these behaviors compromise their ability to remain drug and crime free.

In the end, virtually all women in prison will return to the communities from which they came. Programming for incarcerated women is, at best, inadequate. According to Stephanie Covington, Ph.D., in her 1998 ICCA paper, prison, with its power structure, often re-traumatizes a significant portion of its population who are already suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, due to repeated abuse. Many researchers in this field recommend community corrections services that are gender and culturally competent and which are perceived by women to be supportive (physically and emotionally) and which stress relationships rather than control. Unfortunately, for the over 1,300 women entering the Wisconsin prison system, there are only 24 residential treatment beds available to them in Milwuakee County, which is home to the vast majority of these women. Milwaukee County also lacks wraparound services and aftercare programs that target the specific population of women offenders and their families.

Horizons' residential and outpatient treatment programs strive to bridge this gap. With 20 beds in our residential facility, we are able to serve approximately 120 women, in a residential setting, per year. With Horizons’ new Community Connections Program, program participants have a care coordinator and access to wrap around services based upon their needs. The Horizons’ care coordinator works with both the corrections system and the women offenders to address the issues facing women offenders re-entering the community and to ensure that treatment gains are maintained as the offender moves into a new life. Funding from the Department of Corrections, Wisconsin Community Service Network, United Way, Milwaukee County TANF Program, and private foundations has allowed the agency to create a continuum of care for women offenders. Horizons, Inc. is the only halfway house for women offenders in Milwaukee County with this range of services.

The possibility of relapse for women offenders is a daily threat. But the moment of relapse is also an occasion to work harder to support women and provide them with the tools and environment necessary to stabilize and support their ongoing recovery. Feedback from focus groups conducted with women in the criminal justice system show that the following factors as critical in preventing their return to criminal involvement:

housing

physical and psychological safety

education and/or job training and opportunities

community-based substance abuse treatment

exposure to positive female role models

positive relationships with their children and families

The Milwaukee community also lacks specialized transitional care coordination services, in a residential setting, to meet this need. While existing programs offer a limited amount of long-term housing, demand for these beds often exceeds availability. Furthermore, existing programs do not recognize that the "bed" is only the immediate and basic need. A woman offender who is at risk of relapse and/or recidivism needs services in the areas crisis intervention, counseling, employment, and education. Our pilot Transitional Care Coordination Program will help to bridge this gap by providing stabilization through the short-term crisis intervention as well as care coordination services that address the critical environmental needs (housing, transportation, child care and employment) that will ensure women’s successful entry into the community.

Women offenders also have histories that place them at high risk for HIV infection, including trading sex for money/drugs, injection drug use, and/or partnering with injection drug users. In addition to having a higher incidence of HIV and AIDS than male offenders (3.3% compared to 2.1%), women offenders have a higher incidence of physical health problems including asthma, seizure disorders, hypertension, diabetes, hepatitis, heart disorders, and sexually-transmitted diseases. Finally, feedback from the women we serve indicates that more than 3% are HIV-positive and more than 25% have a friend or family member who is HIV-positive. The HIV Education and Prevention Program at Horizons, Inc. provides group and individual education targeted at helping women, their partners and their families engage in safe sex practices and remain drug free.