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Criminal Recidivism of Female Offenders: The Importance of Structured Community-Based Aftercare

NCJ Number
222670
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 33 Issue: 2 Dated: March/April 2008 Pages: 1,2,30,32
Author(s)
Kirk Heilbrun; David DeMatteo; Ralph Fretz; Jacey Erickson; Douglas Gerardi; Catherine Halper
Date Published
March 2008
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes an empirical effort to compare the criminal recidivism of female offenders who have received gender-specific interventions following release from prison with female offenders who have not received such interventions.
Abstract
Since rearrest was found to be less frequent, both in number and rate, for women who received structured and gender-specific programming, these results are promising for the risk reduction value of this kind of intervention. The comparison was made during an outcome period of 6 months in the community. The results provide some basis for gauging the impact of programming that is structured, gender-specific, and delivered following release from prison and prior to return to the community under standard parole conditions. The increase in female offenders and inmates under the jurisdiction of State and Federal correctional authorities is being accompanied by a correspondingly large increase in the number of females being released into the community from incarceration. Given the increasing numbers, researchers have begun examining whether male and female offenders present with different treatment/rehabilitation needs. The identification of distinctive treatment needs among female offenders is increasingly recognized as important in today’s corrections field. Even with the call for gender-specific programming in correctional contexts, there has been minimal empirical attention to the effectiveness of such programming. Gender-specific programming requires further study to attain and establish a strong empirical foundation. This study was designed as an empirical effort to compare the criminal recidivism of female offenders receiving gender-specific programming following release from prison with female offenders who did not receive an intervention. Tables and references