Incarceration And Recidivism Case Study

Both from the textbook and in videos we’ve seen in this class, we’ve learned that there are many methods which are being used to divert offenders from incarceration and prevent them from returning to prison once they have served their time. None of the sources we’ve encountered though have mentioned much about diversion or recidivism programs specifically for women. The Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES) in NYC has a branch of their organization that specializes in doing just that- CASES provides alternatives to incarceration and support services to rehabilitate female offenders with the intent on reducing incarceration and recidivism in the criminal justice system. (CASES website ref)
Culturally, women and men

take on different roles in society, some which are seen as biological and some learned. In her book ‘A Different Voice’, Carol Gilligan discusses differences in gender when it comes to decision making and conflict resolution which she refers to as care-based morality (more common in women) and justice based morality (more often seen in men). These different roles and our society’s attitudes on gender are often reflected in the different problems and needs of female offenders versus those of male offenders. Since the majority of offenders in the correctional system are male, the system is therefore centered on the punishment and rehabilitation of men. However, with the rapid rise of more women offenders entering the system, it is becoming more evident that the needs of services and rehabilitation methods may be different for women and the system needs to adjust accordingly.
According to The Sentencing Projects’ data fact sheet,‘Trends in U.S Corrections, updated in March 2017, “the number of women in prison has been increasing at a rate 50 percent higher than men since 1980. Women in prison often have significant histories of physical and sexual abuse, high rates of HIV, and substance abuse problems. Women’s imprisonment in female led households leads to children who suffer from their mother’s absence and breaks in family ties.”