Webinar Archive:  Reentry Series

Webinar date:  April 10, 2013

 

Description

During the past 25 years, our knowledge and understanding of women's lives has increased dramatically and this information has impacted and improved services for women, particularly in the areas of health, education, employment, mental health, substance abuse, and trauma treatment.  At present, however, both a need and an opportunity exist to bring knowledge from other fields into the criminal justice system to develop effective programs for women, including those reentering their communities after serving time in jail or prison. Until recently, theory and research on criminality focused on crimes perpetrated by men, with male offenders viewed as the norm. Historically, correctional programming for women has thus been based on profiles of male criminality or paths to crime. However, the policies, services, and programs that focus on the overwhelming number of men in the corrections system often fail to identify gender- and culturally-responsive options for women's specific needs. While men and women face some similar challenges upon returning to the community, the intensity, multiplicity, and specificity of their needs, and the most effective ways for addressing those needs, are very different.

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About the Presenter

Dr. Stephanie Covington, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., is a clinician, organizational consultant, and lecturer. For over twenty-five years her work has focused on the creation of gender-responsive and trauma-informed services. Her extensive experience includes designing women's services at the Betty Ford Center, developing programs for women in criminal justice settings, and being the featured therapist on the Oprah Winfrey Network TV show entitled Breaking Down the Bars. She has also served as a consultant to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna and was selected for the federal Advisory Council on Women's Services. Educated at Columbia University and the Union Institute, Dr. Covington has served on the faculties of the University of Southern California, San Diego State University, and the California School of Professional Psychology. She has published extensively, including six gender-responsive, trauma-informed treatment curricula. Dr. Covington is based in La Jolla, California, where she is co-director of both the Institute for Relational Development and the Center for Gender and Justice.

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Click here to access the recording (which includes the PowerPoint). A copy of the PowerPoint (and any other documents from the webinar) is available by clicking here.