Nursing Care and Minority Women Offenders
date, criminal justice programs are based on the male experience because of the
preponderance of men prisoners. However, criminal justice statistics indicate
female detainees are increasing in numbers more rapidly than the male detainee
population (Haywood, Kravitz, Goldman, & Freeman, 2000).
Additionally,
because minority women are disproportionately represented in the numbers of
incarcerated women, there is a need for culturally specific, gender responsive
programs.
Women Offenders and Their Supervision
Although
the majority of federal female offenders are under community supervision, there
is very little information available on their characteristics and needs. There
is even less known about supervision issues and strategies, treatment
approaches, and characteristics that enhance effective programs and successful
outcomes for female offenders. T
he effectiveness of rehabilitation programs for
the general offender population has received much attention; however, there is
a paucity of research dedicated to the female offender population (Koons,
Burrow, Marash, & Bynum, 1997).
Many
of these women offenders are supervised by a probation agency and are
considered as low risk and therefore have very little. contact with their
probation officer. There is, however, indication that this lack of contact with
their supervising agent leads to higher rate of failure on community
supervision (Chesney-Lind, 2000).
Difference as Compare to Male
The
rationale for women committing a crime is generally different than for their
male counterpart. For instance, a woman may have been coerced into drug
offenses or other criminal behavior because of an abusive spouse or boyfriend.
This type of influence is referred to as gender entrapment (Ritchie, 1996).
Probation
and parole periods were initially intended to afford the opportunity of gradual
reintegration into the community, eliminating the social stigma in due time;
however, this hoped-for pattern of reintegration into a healthy life pattern
generally does not occur (Simon, 1993).
There is a lack of opportunities for
reintegration and acceptance by society. The stigma remains, marking the
ex-felon and often creating angry and defiant responses to the related feelings
of shame and rejection (Scheff & Retzinger, 1991).
Unique Needs of Female Offenders
Female
offenders have several unique needs and concerns different from their male
counterparts. According to Greenfield and Snell (1999), women offenders have
different needs than men, probably due to their disproportionate victimization
from sexual or physical abuse.
They have histories of trauma and substance
abuse, and their pathways to crime are based on survival of abuse and poverty
(Bloom, 2000). They begin to use alcohol and other drugs at an early age, and
there is indication that there is a link between their addiction and physical
and sexual abuse (Covington, 1998).
When
they are besieged with problems of low self-esteem and the stigma and shame of
incarceration, the separation from their children and/or the potential to lose
their children will present their probation officer with supervision
difficulties. Multiple studies indicate that they present with more complicated
and severe mental health problems (DeCos tanzo, 1998).
Low Count of Female Offenders as Compare to Male
Criminal
justice supervision, programs, and services have been based on the male
experience, mostly due to the higher number of men in the criminal justice
system as compared to women. Therefore, many of the supervision and program
needs of women have been ignored. Thus, there is very little empirical evidence
indicating what works for female offenders to prevent relapse and recidivism
(Bloom, 2000).
Programs dominated by men result in women’s issues being
minimized and they are less likely to be adequately ad- dressed. Women have
been socialized to value relationships and connectedness; thus, developing a
support system for them is congruent with their orientation. To prevent relapse
and recidivism, strategies that are gender responsive need to be developed and
implemented.
Service Levels and Nursing Needs
Although
the Federal Court system in San Antonio has recently adopted the Level of
Service Inventory Revised (LSI-R) for use as the risk/need assessment tool for
all per- sons who are in the probation phase, the tool has not been evaluated
for validity and clarity with minority women.
This pilot represented the first
step in a series of pilot studies preliminary for development of a mentoring
support program directed to decrease recidivism among minority women offenders.
The
Level of Service Inventory Revised (LSI-R) is an instrument designed to provide
a basis for correctional intervention programming that is both appropriate to
the level of need for service and to the level of risk for recidivism (Andrews
& Bonta, 1995).
It was unknown if the major and minor criminogenic targets
reflected in the LSI-R were ap- propriate for minority women or if these
women’s recidivism risk can be accurately assessed.
The
psychometric properties of the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) were
found to be reliable, had content validity, and were understood by the majority
of participants.
This assessment tool will be effective in assessing the recidivism
risk of minority female offenders who are in the community supervision phase of
their federal sentencing.