Following the innocent enough donation of sewing needles and thread to the New Hampshire State women's prison, the need for the New Hampshire Commission of the Status of Women in prison became clear. The Commission was tasked with identifying and addressing the inequities experienced by women and girls within secure detention facilities in New Hampshire. Following research that included a series of "listening" sessions with female inmates, the Commission learned that women in prison most needed educational and vocational opportunities, reunification programs to reunite them with their children, employment services, and housing assistance. The Commission also noted the stark contrast in resources and services for male inmates compared with those for female inmates. The Commission recommended that New Hampshire: (1) implement a comprehensive data collection effort on female offenders to assist in developing gender-responsive policies and practices; (2) establish a statewide planning initiative for the gender-responsive management of female offenders; and (3) develop strategies for gender-specific training for all Department of Corrections (DOC) personnel, especially those working with female offenders. Following the Commission report, a number of changes took place, including the appointment of a mental health program coordinator for female offenders and training programs for correctional staff on issues impacting female offenders, such as substance abuse, domestic and sexual violence, childhood trauma, and mental health disorders. Moreover, a piece of legislation was enacted in 2006 that created an administrator of women offenders and family services within the DOC and created an interagency coordinating council on women offenders, which was charged with identifying opportunities for cooperation in the management of female offenders. Figures, endnotes