Title

Abstract

Each year, around 12,243 women are incarcerated in Texas state correctional facilities. This research paper proposes that women with drug addiction and trauma histories should not be incarcerated or punished with mandatory minimums. The reason for this is that a better alternative to this is treating such women with multimodal or multisystemic approaches in order to address the problem in a more effective way and promote social change.

Table of Content

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Table of Content3

Introduction4

Body4

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy6

Behavior Therapy6

Psychodynamic and Interpersonal Therapies6

Family Therapy6

Conclusion7

References10

Introduction

There are many difficulties association with the incarceration of adult felons in United States. As each year goes by, the number of incarcerated women increase in the United States with the major reason portion of incarcerated women suffering from drug addiction and having trauma histories. This indicates that the problem is not being addressed correctly and a new approach is required in order to tackle the problem effectively. This paper explores the aforementioned point in detail and proposes that a multimodal or multisystemic approach can be used to address the problem in a better way.

Body

According to Blume (1990), women that have become caught up in the criminal justice system usually have a extensive history of drug use and furthermore, there is a high probability of them being clinically depressed. According to Bloom and Covington (2000), they also tend to suffer from a low self esteem.

Women doing time in the state prison and jails of Texas generally have an extensive history of involvement with the criminal justice system with prior convictions as well. The major reason for their incarceration is low level drug possession or property offense. These women are more likely to have grave long term substance use problems. These issues usually co-exist with psychological problems especially depression, which has been found to be the most diagnosed ailment.

A unique obstacle that women face is with post-prison reintegration. The reason for this is that women are surrounded by others like them in the prison and it sort of becomes 'normal' to be suffering from the same problem as them. Therefore, when they go back to the real world, they face extreme problems in terms of carrying out the same way that they did in prison. Furthermore, they find it difficult to adjust and be accepted as the people that they interact with don't suffer from the same problems. This exacerbates their mental situation and adds to their depression.

Another issue that makes thing difficult for them is their pre-prison employment history and substance use. According to research, women are more likely than men to engage in drug abuse, have problems related to drug abuse, or have partners that use drugs daily, a year after their release. Therefore, they are more likely than men to be behind bars within a year's time.

Around 83 percent women reported illegal drug use in the last 6 months before they come to the prison. Furthermore, around one third of the women reported heavy drug use. These women usually had a long history of ...