Rehabilitation Of Female Offenders: A Case For Gender-Responsive Programming

Each year, hundreds of thousands of individuals housed in United States state prison facilities are provided access to rehabilitative programming intended to lessen the probability of offender recidivism. The existing problem surrounding said programs is the “gender-neutral” approach utilized by many jurisdictions nationwide–ignoring the unique criminogenic risks and needs of female offenders. Through an extensive review of literature, this honors thesis explores the unique factors of female criminality, the history of rehabilitative programming within the United States, and the development of gender-responsive rehabilitation programs in women’s prison facilities. Further, this thesis provides a comparative analysis of the types of rehabilitative programming available to female offenders within state women’s prison facilities in California and North Carolina utilizing data collected via state-sponsored agencies, with specific consideration to the presence or lack of gender-responsive programming within the states offender rehabilitation model. Analyzed programs are categorized by descriptive variables defined within. Utilizing data pertaining to the female offender population and presence or lack of accessible gender-responsive programming within each state, conclusions are drawn regarding the potential correlation between the two. This thesis concludes with a discussion of future policy implications, as well as limitations to the study’s generalizability.