Women Exiting Prison: Supporting Reintegration in a Changing Penal Climate
| Author | Rosemary Sheehan |
| Pages | 57-66 |
57
WOMEN EXITING PRISON: SUPPORTING SUCCESSFUL
REINTEGRATION IN A CHANGING PENAL CLIMATE
Rosemary Sheehan, Associate Professor, Social Work, Monash University
Abstract
The rise in the number of women caught up in the criminal justice syst em draws attention
to what d istinct and distinctive strategies are needed to divert women away from the
courts and support them to address the risk factors that propel them into offending. This
paper discusses how Corrections Victoria in Au stralia identified particular risk factors that
propel women i nto offending and developed a specialised response to women offenders,
with particular emphasis on supporting their re-integration into the community. The
Better Pathways Strategy developed in 2005 by Corrections Victoria identifyied the ke y
importance of housing, employment and family connections to successful reintegation of
women offenders into the commmunity. Participation in offender based programmes as
well as intervention in p hysical and mental health concerns, and in alcohol and other drug
use problems also influenced women’s self efficacy and thus confidence in their
community reintegration. However gender based pro grammes and diversion respo nses
for women offenders ar e increasingly being challenged by the rise of the risk paradigm,
where surveillance and monitoring draw draws resources away from therapeutic and
community based responses. Women are particularly affected given the nature of their
social problems brings contact with criminal justice: intellectual disability, mental health,
dual diagnosis, drug and alcohol related behaviour problems and homelessness, all of
which are classified as high risk. Yet where ‘joined-up’ services have been implemented,
they have successfully facilitated transition from prison to community, and reduced re -
offending. However, constrained budgets and community disfavour chal lenge the
successful partnerships developed and policy attention which have positively supported
this group of marginalised and vulnerable women.
Keywords
women offenders; community reintegration; risk; corrections policy
British Journal of Community Justice
©2014 Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield
ISSN 1475-0279
Vol. 12(2): 57-66
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