A series of eight Jail Tip Sheets on critical topics facing jails were developed by the NRCJIW to facilitate the implementation of gender-informed approaches with women in jail settings. These tip sheets were developed in response to recommendations from participants at the Women in Jails Summit held in October, 2014. During the summit, jail practitioners asked for concise resources or tools that addressed their specific concerns regarding the management of women in jail settings and provided links to additional resources.
To view a tip sheet, or to view additional resources related to each tip sheet, click on the links below.
Core Resources and Reading on Justice Involved Women
The following are essential resources and readings that may be of interest to jail practitioners who seek additional information on justice-involved women.
- NRCJIW Resource Library
- National Institute of Corrections – Women Offenders
- Ten Truths That Matter When Working With Justice Involved Women
- Research, Practice, and Guiding Principles for Women Offenders: Gender Responsive Strategies
- Research Findings (on Women), Appendix to the Gender-Responsive Discipline Guide
- The Gender-Responsive Strategies Project: Jail Applications
Jail Tip #1: Being Gender-Responsive and Trauma Informed is Just Good Correctional Practice
- The Nexus of Jail Culture, Operational Practices and Trauma Informed Care
- National PREA Resource Center
- Sexual Misconduct in Corrections
Jail Tip #2: Take Steps to be More Trauma Informed
- Using Trauma-Informed Practices to Enhance Safety and Security in Women’s Correctional Facilities
- National Center for Trauma Informed Care and Alternatives to Seclusion and Restraint
- Beyond Trauma: A Healing Journey for Women
- Women’s Pathways to Jail: The Roles and Intersections of Serious Mental Illness and Trauma
- Staff Perspectives: Sexual Violence in Adult Prisons and Jails
Jail Tip #3: Review Discipline Policies and Practices
Jail Tip #4: Manage Women’s Complex Behaviors
- Creating Regulation and Resiliency (CR/2)
- Beyond Violence: A Prevention Program for Criminal Justice-Involved Women
- Using Trauma-Informed Practices to Enhance Safety and Security in Women’s Correctional Facilities
- Seeking Safety: A Treatment Manual for PTSD and Substance Abuse
- Treating complex traumatic stress disorders: An evidenced-based guide. New York: Guilford Press (Book Abstract)
- The Trauma Treatments Handbook: Protocols Across the Spectrums (Book Abstract)
Jail Tip #5: Use Gender Responsive Assessment Tools
- Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (information on WRNA and ION)
- Assessing the Risk and Needs of Women in Jails. See American Jails Magazine, Volume: 27(6), pages 19-24
- Women’s Risk Factors and their Contribution to Existing Risk/Needs Assessment: The Current Status of a Gender-responsive Supplement (validation of the WRNA)
- Needs and Pretrial Failure: Additional Risk Factors for Female and Male Pretrial Defendants (preliminary validation of the ION)
Jail Tip #6: Assess Women’s Healthcare Needs
- Pregnancy and Postpartum Care in Correctional Settings
- BJA Policy Brief: Women’s Pathways to Jail: Examining Mental Health, Trauma, and Substance Use
- NCCHC Position Statement: Women’s Health Care in Correctional Settings
- SAMHSA, Substance Abuse Treatment: Addressing the Specific Needs of Women, TIP 51
- GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation
Jail Tip #7: Develop Community Partnerships
- Systemic Criminal Justice Planning: Improving Responses to Women Offenders in Hamilton County, Ohio
- The Gender-Responsive Strategies Project: Jail Applications
Jail Tip #8: Support Women’s Successful Transition and Reentry from Jails
- Reentry Considerations for Women Offenders: Coaching Packet
- Transition from Jail to Community Implementation Toolkit
- The Gender-Responsive Strategies Project: Jail Applications
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank NRCJIW partners Alyssa Benedict, Maureen Buell, Georgia Lerner, Andie Moss, Marilyn Van Dieten, and Pat Van Voorhis and Kurt Bumby from the Center for Effective Public Policy for authoring the various jail tip sheets. The tip sheets were edited by Becki Ney and Rachelle Ramirez from the NRCJIW, with help from Debbie Smith.