The availability of women community correction programs

The availability of women community correction programs

Introduction

Many of the girls and women in the criminal justice system are misunderstood and neglected. War on drugs is the major issue for the increment in the imprisonment rate in the United States since the year 1980 (O'Brien, 2006). Between the year 1991 and 1986, there has been observed the increment in the incarceration of state for crimes related to drugs and it estimated that around 432 % increment was seen in the state prison. Most of the women who were imprisoned are non violent criminals who were able to be treated more economically and effectively in gender specific programs based on community (O'Brien, 2006).

In the history of our nation, women offenders are neglected or invisible in a designed system in order to rehabilitate and control men. It has been observed that women victimization has been minimized, trivialized and ignored. Moreover, crime of women has been over looked completely (Austin et al., n.d.). In the declining decades of twentieth century, involvement of women in all phases of the criminal justice system enhanced considerably. The number of females on probation has been increased by 40 % in the period of between the year 1990 and 1998. The number of imprisoned women has been increased by 60 %, the number of incarcerated women was intensified by 88 % and figure of females under parole management had been increased by 80 % (Austin et al., n.d.).

During the last some decades, there has been a significant increment in the figure of women who are under correctional supervision. Although, the policies for women criminality and the way they are treated in the system of criminal justice have not hold pace (Stevens, n.d.). Many researchers have observed that many women involved in the criminal justice system are accused with offenses that are nonviolent and they do not present a significant danger to public protection and security. The increment in the women's imprisonment rate has been affected by social and structural crime's causes that have been overlooked largely, while observing models of risk based on male criminality and male characteristics (Stevens, n.d.).

According to the observation of Meda Chesney-Lind, it has been found that there has been the technical violation's high rate of women while under community supervision. The basis of strategies for treating technical violators is on male criminality and it does not consider the women's needs. A matrix model has been proposed by Ann Jacobs which addresses the women's needs under community supervision (Stevens, n.d.). This model includes the realization of the challenges that have been faced by women such as poverty, homelessness, at-risk children, chronic mental and physical illness and substance abuse. This model is also building up a life plan in the areas of residence, subsistence, family and children, sobriety and mental health, criminal justice compliance and health. Thus, the model is taking into account the individual's degree of functionality (Stevens, n.d.).

Background

The last some decades have observed unequaled development of women ...