Good Practice in Women's Prisons: A Literature Review

TLDR: The need for the development of specific policies, practices and initiatives that acknowledge the gender-specific needs of female prisoners and place female rehabilitation as a central criminal justice priority in its own right is highlighted.

Abstract: Good prison practices are essential for the wellbeing of prisoners and the wider community. Not only do they provide assistance to one of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups within society, but they also benefit the wider community by providing adequate support and services to a group of people who will ultimately return to the community. The purposes of incarceration not only include retribution, punishment, deterrence and incapacitation, but also rehabilitation. In order for a prison to achieve this, it is essential to have prison practice models that support reintegration, facilitate personal development and reduce recidivism rates. Notwithstanding this imperative, prisons and prison systems are still typically organised around the needs and requirements of male prisoners. As a result, any provisions made for women prisoners are still applied within a male-oriented framework and lack the female focus needed to assist women prisoners with their rehabilitation and social reintegration. Accordingly, many prison models do not provide women prisoners with the support, services and requirements they need to achieve their rehabilitative goals. This paper explores some of the literature on recent practical and theoretical developments that have been incorporated into women’s prison models. By exploring the key initiatives that have been adopted into both Australian and international prison settings, the report outlines a holistic approach to the needs of women prisoners, what services can help address these needs in prison and what level of support is required post-release. In particular, the paper considers recent developments in corrections policies specific to female prisoners, for example, Victoria’s Better Pathways in Practice: The Women’s Correctional Services Framework, as well as women’s prison system and architecture, including the use of cottage-style accommodation, where women share kitchen, bathroom and laundry facilities and are required to develop pro-social skills in cooking, budgeting and cleaning. The paper also presents relevant prison system management practices and operational developments, such as the good practices identified by the Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services Western Australia. The availability and evidence of the effectiveness of women’s corrections programs is also discussed, as well as the need to develop programs that will be practical for women upon leaving custody and the need evaluate programs properly. Examples discussed include the adaptation of the therapeutic community model for female prisoners and developing employment and education programs that enable women to gain skills in non-traditional areas. Consideration of security issues includes the implications of housing multiple security levels on the one site and the needs of remand prisoners. In addition, promising initiatives in relation to the physical and mental health of women prisoners are examined, including the introduction of ultrasound clinics and health promotion programs. Finally, the paper explores measures to enable female prisoners to meet their parental responsibilities. Key relevant practices in Australia include the availability of appropriately designed and maintained mother and child units and programs that model healthy family and social behaviour. By examining these issues and building up the knowledge base on good practice models for women’s prisons both in Australia and overseas, this paper highlights the need for the development of specific policies, practices and initiatives that acknowledge the gender-specific needs of female prisoners and place female rehabilitation as a central criminal justice priority in its own right and not merely as a complement to a male-centric model.