NCJ Number
250260
Date Published
May 2016
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Intended for criminal justice practitioners who wish to adopt more gender-informed approaches for justice-involved women, this fact sheet provides basic information on justice-involved women and how they differ from their male counterparts.
Abstract
Data are presented to show a trend in higher percentages of justice-involved women. In 2013, 1.2 million women were under the authority of the criminal justice system. This trend can be traced to changes in State and National drug policies that mandated prison terms for even relatively low-level drug offenses. Women's recidivism rates are similar to those of justice-involved men; approximately 25 percent of women released from prison have an arrest for a new crime within 6 months. There are significant differences between male and female offenders regarding offending histories, risk factors, and life circumstances. Male and female offenders are compared for notable differences on offense types and the use of violence, victimization and trauma experiences, mental health, substance abuse, relationships, and poverty and economic marginalization. The data presented show the importance of having gender-specific policies and practices in order to maximize the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in addressing the distinctive needs and risks of both female and male offenders. 40 references