NCJ Number
181828
Journal
Community Corrections Report Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2000 Pages: 35-47
Date Published
March 2000
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines classification of female offenders, evaluates the program’s usefulness and suggests improvements.
Abstract
Issues in the classification of female offenders include the paucity of effort that has gone into developing specifically female-centered scales or schemes and general dissatisfaction with what has been done. Some attempts at female classification have had no correlation between classification and placement; there is little appropriate programming following classification and available community-based programs are underutilized; and, despite the lack of security-related issues with female offenders, many women are still prohibited from participating in community work service programs because they have been (over) classified according to male standards. The article suggests new directions for the classification of women: (1) Carefully assess whether women offenders belong in prison at all; (2) Focus on programming and needed resources; (3) Pay attention to racial and ethnic skewing; and (4) Do more research.