National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women Newsletter
September 2015
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.
NRCJIW Has a New Website!
We are excited to inform our readers that the NRCJIW website has been given a new look. The updated design allows users to access the project’s products and resources in a more streamlined way, incorporates multi-media, and allows easier viewing from all devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Please check it out at http://cjinvolvedwomen.org/.
Seeking Participants in a New Research Project: PIPS (Pregnancy in Prison Statistics)
Want to help improve services for pregnant women in custody? We are 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
Come See Us at AJFO
NRCJIW staff and partners will be presenting workshops at the upcoming Adult and Juvenile Female Offender (AJFO) Conference in Hartford, CT, October 13-15, 2015. Presentations will include sessions on:
- Improving Correctional Policy and Practice for Pregnant Women in Prison
- Unveiling the Gender Responsive Discipline Policy Guide
If you plan to attend, make sure to register by the October 2nd deadline. We look forward to seeing you there!
NRCJIW Webinar Recording and Materials Now Available: Improving Healthcare for Incarcerated Women
Incarcerated women experience higher rates of diseases (such as HIV, Hepatitis C, syphilis, and cervical cancers), as well as sexually transmitted infections, substance dependence, abuse, and mental illness. A recent webinar, sponsored by the NRCJIW, reflected on these and other challenges to providing the necessary and appropriate healthcare services to women in prison and jail settings.
During this webinar Dr. Carolyn Sufrin, MD, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Department of Gyn/Ob, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health provided participants with information on:
- The reproductive characteristics and health needs of women in custody;
- Evidence-based and best practices around pregnancy care and the non-use of restraints;
- Models for providing pre-release family planning services to women, and other innovative programs, such as doula support during labor; and
- Related resources and an upcoming research project on pregnant women in prison.
Click here to listen to a recorded version or click here to access the presentation slides.
Washington Corrections Center for Women TEDx Talks
In March 2015, Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) hosted a TEDx event to discuss “Does gender matter?” The women incarcerated at WCCW, along with community members, staff and volunteers shared their unique perspectives in a series of TED talks, such as:
For the full list of TEDx talks, visit the Washington Department of Corrections’ video library: http://www.doc.wa.gov/news/videos.asp
New in Vera Institute’s Gender and Justice in America Blog
The Importance of Gender-specific Drug Treatment: Why are gender-neutral drug treatment methods often not successful for justice-involved women? According to Chelsea Davis in an August blog, “When treatment is actually sought and obtained, effectiveness is limited because programs often do not offer childcare, have punitive attitudes and policies toward parenting and pregnancy, and rarely address the intersection of trauma, intimate partner violence, and drug and sex-related risks women face.” To read more visit: http://www.vera.org/blog/gender-and-justice-america-women-suffer-when-drug-treatment-focuses-men%E2%80%99s-needs
Alternatives to Incarceration for Mothers
From 1991 to 2007 there was a 122 percent increase in the number of incarcerated mothers, affecting an estimated 150,000 children. In Vera’s series, Tess Domb Sadof discusses the importance of considering alternatives to incarceration for mothers, highlighting examples of diversion programs in Oklahoma and legislation that supports community-based sentencing alternatives for primary caretakers convicted of nonviolent offenses. To read more visit:
http://www.vera.org/blog/gender-and-justice-america-alternatives-incarceration-moms-aim-strengthen-families 
