National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women Newsletter
February 2016
The National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women (NRCJIW) provides guidance and support to justice professionals – and promotes evidence-based, gender-responsive policies and practices – to reduce the number and improve the outcomes of women involved in the criminal justice system.
New Infographic from the NRCJIW: Working with Justice Involved Women
Please visit the NRCJIW web site to access our latest product, an infographic that provides information about justice involved women. This one page graphic is designed as an educational resource for system stakeholders and members of the public and provides essential information about women’s pathways into the justice system, the need for trauma-based interventions, and the importance of acknowledging the specific risks and needs of women involved in criminal justice.
Coming this Spring from NRCJIW: Jail Tip Sheets
A series of eight “Jail Tip Sheets” on critical topics facing jails are under development by the NRCJIW and will be published on the project web site this Spring. The goal of the tip sheets is to facilitate the implementation of gender-informed approaches with women in jail settings. These resources were developed in response to recommendations from participants at the Women in Jails Summit held in October, 2014. During the summit, jail practitioners articulated a need for concise resources and tools that addressed their specific concerns regarding the management of women in jail settings, and provided links to additional resources. The tip sheet series will include:
- Being Gender-Responsive and Trauma-Informed is Just Good Correctional Practice
- Take Steps to be More Trauma-Informed
- Review Discipline Policies and Practices
- Manage Women’s Complex Behaviors
- Use Gender-Responsive Assessment Tools
- Assess Women’s Healthcare Needs
- Develop Community Partnerships
- Support Women’s Successful Transition and Reentry from Jails
Please visit the NRCJIW web site link at http://cjinvolvedwomen.org/women-in-jails/ later this Spring to access these resources.
Upcoming NIC Training Opportunity: Developing an Agency-Wide Approach
NIC will soon be soliciting applications for Justice Involved Women: Developing an Agency-Wide Approach. This training event is designed to assist agencies in using evidence based gender-informed research and knowledge to make policy-driven and systemic changes to improve outcomes for women offenders. This event will be held at the NIC training academy in Aurora, Colorado from August 9-11, 2016. For more information about this opportunity, contact Maureen Buell at NIC: MBuell@bop.gov.
New Resource: Using a Prevention, Trauma-Informed Framework for Implementing PREA
The PREA Resource Center (PRC), along with its partner, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, has released a five-part video series on trauma-informed care and PREA. This engaging series introduces staff to the concept of trauma generally and, more specifically, its impact on individuals in confinement. The series also highlights a jurisdiction that has embraced a trauma-informed approach in its correctional management practices, with far-reaching impact beyond PREA implementation.
See below for links to each video in the series and for a resource guide to accompany the video series.
Each module has its own video link. To access individual modules, click on each link separately. Additionally, the PRC has developed a video series on cross-gender and transgender pat searches. To access the videos and corresponding materials, click on the links below.
Introductory video
https://vimeo.com/130132386
Training video
https://vimeo.com/128994484
Curriculum for trainers
http://www.prearesourcecenter.org/sites/default/files/content/guidance_on_cross-gender_and_transgender_pat_searches_facilitator_guide.pdf
National Organizations Ask Feds to Address Use of Restraints on Incarcerated Pregnant Women and Adolescents
APA, in conjunction with five national partner organizations, released
a statement calling on Congress and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to work with state and local governments to restrict the use of restraints on incarcerated women and girls during pregnancy, labor and postpartum recovery. The coalition represents the fields of physical and mental health, corrections, human rights, and juvenile and criminal justice, and comprises:
Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia have laws or regulations restricting the practice. However, these policies vary widely in their scope and comprehensiveness. The joint statement proposes three specific federal policies:
- Data collection by DOJ on pregnancy and the use of restraints in jails and prisons. There is an alarming dearth of information on women’s health in America’s correctional facilities, and it is critical to capture a more accurate baseline and collect information regularly, to guide reform efforts.
- Training and technical assistance by DOJ, to ensure successful implementation of efforts at the state and local level to restrict the use of restraints.
- Continued leadership by the Bureau of Prisons, which can build on its existing policy restricting the use of restraints by reporting on lessons learned and supporting DOJ’s training and technical assistance.
The joint statement also calls for standardized pregnancy care by qualified professionals, evidence-based and trauma-informed care and mental health services, and other gender-responsive correctional policies and practices.
It’s Not Too Late to Participate in Pregnancy in Prison Statistics (PIPS)
Want to help improve services for pregnant women in custody? Johns Hopkins University researchers are still seeking jails and prisons to participate in a new research project to report information on pregnancy outcomes in women’s facilities nationwide.
If you are interested in learning more or in participating, please contact Dr. Carolyn Sufrin: pips@jhu.edu.
