Document 87: "Offenders," in Susanna Downie, Decade of Achievement: 1977-1987: A Report on a Survey Based on the National Plan of Action for Women (Washington, D.C.: National Women's Conference, 1988), pp. 56-57.

p. 56

OFFENDERS

NATIONAL PLAN PRIORITIES:

*eliminated discrimination in penal facilities, especially where it affects poor and minority women *legal counselling and referral services *improved health services *protection from sexual abuse *improved vocational training and education, with emphasis on nonstereotyped range of skills *provision for care of children of mothers under arrest, on trial or in prison *community based treatment facilities, halfway houses, work releases and group homes *status offenses must be removed from the jurisdiction of juvenile courts *more youth bureaus, crisis centers and diversion agencies for female juveniles detained for status offenses.

   There has been progress for female offenders, mostly in the form of innovative work release and community based programs in many states and less discrimination. But the good news is tempered: over-crowding is at an all time high, most prisons are operating at at least double capacity, and this is primarily due to one sad fact:

   Although female inmates are still less than 5% of the national prison population, the female prison population has grown at a faster rate than the male prison population in each year since 1981. The highest growth rates (1986) are in: Oklahoma (33.9%), New York (25.6%), Michigan (25.2%), Florida (25%). The national average growth rate in 1986 was 15.1% for women and 8.3% for men.

   The increase in female offenders comes largely in two categories: larceny (shoplifting) and fraud (bad check passing). Larceny accounted for 10.6% of female arrests in 1975, but 19.4% in 1980. Fraud accounted for 2.3% in 1960 and 9.6% in 1980. Speculation about these increases and their relationship to a new type of offender are discussed in "The New Female Offender — Reality or Myth?" by Carol Smart (1982). According to Smart, factors involved in the changing picture of female criminality include the increase in female poverty, the decline of family support systems, migration to urban areas, and rising standards of living.

   Adult female offenders nationwide remain dramatically undereducated. In 1986, 33% had a G.E.D., 34% had only 9 to 11 years of school completed, and 21% had only 8 years or less. Only .8% had Bachelor's degrees (4% in the state of Maine). 6.5% had some college.

   As the 1986 Update stated, the majority of women offenders are young single mothers of young children, and they have histories of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. The combination of lack of education or skills plus the burden of parenting is what drives many of these women into petty criminality.

   Nevertheless, the last ten years has seen small but widespread improvements in services for female offenders. Data in this area is sparse but the beginnings of a trend are discernible.

p. 57

   For instance, in some states now the percentage of the corrections budget spent on female adult offenders exceeds the percentage of women in the incarcerated population:

	% of total prison pop. that is female	% of budget for female offenders
Arizona	4.5%	5.4%
Connecticut	4.9%	6.2%
Florida	5%	8.7%
Illinois	3%	8.1%
Pennsylvania	4%	5.2%

   There are the best examples. But in other states, such as California, the budget for women is lower than their percentage in the prison population.

   However, the National Roundtable on Mothers in Prison, which publishes a directory of organizations and programs that work with and for women prisoners, has found that there are at least 100 such programs nationwide, most of them initiated since 1980. These programs, nearly all of them created and run by women in or working with the criminal justice system, have begun to address some of the basic problems, particularly economic needs and low self-esteem, which have not been addressed by the prison systems designed by and for men.

For example:

   In 1982. Arizona started a program called ROBE — Resident Operated Business Enterprise. Women are operating four businesses within the prison, including a bakery, a gift shop, and an art gallery.

   California has a "Nontraditional Vocational Training for Females" program, which transports women interested in learning skills such as auto mechanics, welding, and sheet metal work, to the men's prison each day for classes and hands-on training: there are also three crews of 18 women each which do conservation work, clearing brush and putting out forestfires.

   Connecticut operates a Pre-apprenticeship program, where female inmates work with skilled craftspeople in carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, painting, small engine repair, waste water treatment, and food service, to acquire these specific trade skills.

   In Maine, female inmates perform mechanical and electronic repair on talking book machines for libraries throughout the state.

   Maryland runs a "Clipping Program," providing a clipping service to any requesting contracted state agency who wishes to have articles pertaining to that agency provided to them. Inmates scan over 100 newspapers.

   In Utah, inmates provide care for the handicapped and run a cooperative garden.

   In North Carolina county jails, men are allowed to work, but women are not. But this year (1987), Guilford County will implement a day center and work release program for women(see sidebar).

   Conferences on female offenders organized by programs that are run especially for women have been held in Pittsburgh PA (1980), St. Paul MN (1985), and Raleigh NC (1987). These conferences have provided valuable networking and information sharing for the women who work with female offenders. In addition, the National Roundtable has held three national conferences (starting in 1985) and plans to continue them annually.

   Marcia Hinton, Director of The Center (the work-release facility of The Program for Female Offenders, in Pittsburgh (see sidebar), estimates that agencies such as the ones listed in the National Roundtable Directory serve perhaps 20% of the women needing such services. But work release programs, which have counselling and "surrogate parenting" components, have a much higher success rate than prisons (though data here is sparse). Hinton estimates that the recidivism rate for the county jails in PA. is 60 - 70%. whereas for The Program it is in the neighborhood of 3%.

-- Charlotte Arnold, Founder and Director of The Program for Female Offenders.
with Leslie Berlin, graduate student in Social Work at the University of
Pittsburgh and an intern at The Program

RESOURCES:

NATIONAL ROUNDTABLE ON MOTHERS IN PRISON, a project of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, 1317 18^th St., San Francisco CA 94107; (415) 824-1070, contact: Ellen Barry. Directory of programs for female offenders was updated in 1986.

"Legal Issues of Female Inmates -- a Report," by the Smith College School of Social Work, for the National Institute of Corrections, 1982.

Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin, "Prisoners in 1986," May 1987.

Adult Female Offenders and Institutional Programs—A State of the Art Analysis, by Dr. T.A. Ryan, US Dept. of Justice, National Institute of Corrections, Feb. 1984.

"The New Female Offender — Reality or Myth," by Carol Smart in The Criminal Justice System and Women, ed. Barbara Price and Natalie Sokoloff, Clark Boardman Company, Ltd., 1982.

TWO GOOD EXAMPLES:

LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR MOTHERS IN PRISON (LAMP)/WOMEN'S RESISDENTIAL DAY CENTER FOR GUILFORD CO. NORTH CAROLINA. LAMP was started in 1984 by Christine Herlinger, Just this year they suceeded in getting funding to open a residential center which will accommodate six families (women with children) and will have space to hold day classes for up to 30 women. They will offer parenting classes, vocational counseling and support services, and a Montessori school on the premises. The Residential Supervisor will be Ms. Vicky Tucker, a 40 yr. old mother of five who was convicted in 1986, served six months in prison, and was so shocked by the humiliating experiences she had there that she has dedicated herself to creating a better system for women. LAMP, 1004 North Elm St. Greensboro NC 27401. (919) 275-9366.

THE PROGRAM (for female offenders) and THE CENTER/PENNSYLVANIA The Program was founded in Pittsburgh PA in 1974 by Charlotte Arnold, with two full time staff. It became statewide in 1977, and now has 47 full time staff, offering job placement, training, prison advocacy, and counseling to women in all four major urban areas of the state. In 1984, an innovative residential work release center was built by Allegheny Co. and is operated by The Program. The Center houses 30 women with children, and offers leisure life training, parenting classes, and vocational training. The Program, 1520 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh PA 15222. (412) 281-7380.

   

Previous Document	Document List	Next Document