Treatment needs of female offenders: a review

Abstract

The number of women involved in the criminal justice system is growing, yet few programs and services are geared specifically towards their needs. Moreover, even with gender-specific programming, a risk management model (Andrews & Bonta, 1998) has dominated rehabilitation policy, where criminogenic needs or harm avoidance have been the primary focus. Development of a theoretical approach that embraces gender-specific treatment and addresses the realities of women's lives is critical. This paper posits that the enhancement model (Ward & Stewart, in press) provides such a framework to guide the construction of rehabilitation programs for female offenders. This model moves away from focusing on criminogenic needs, and instead emphasises enhancing offender capabilities to assist women in living balanced and fulfilling lives. A review of female-specific treatment needs encompassed within the enhancement model is therefore outlined, including issues of physical and sexual abuse, mental health, children and families, vocation, life skills and substance abuse. The integration of these needs into a holistic rehabilitation framework conceptually based on the enhancement model is then proposed. We argue that this framework is fundamental to reducing female recidivism, and improving women's wellbeing and overall quality of life.