Numbers and Characteristics of Drug-Using Women in the Criminal Justice System: Implications for Treatment

Wellisch, Jean; Anglin, M. Douglas; Prendergast, Michael

doi:10.1177/002204269302300102

Cited by 57 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Approximately 75% of female inmates fit this picture (James & Glaze, 2006). Many female inmates began using drugs at an early age, often on a daily basis, because of a life-disrupting, traumatic experience that occurred when they were in middle or high school; frequently, they did not complete high school (Wellisch et al, 1993). The majority have a history of trauma (sexual, emotional, and/ or physical abuse as children and adults), which is linked to long-term substance abuse (Mageehon, 2003).…”

Section: Working With the Female Incarcerated Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Group Art Therapy With Incarcerated Women

Erickson

Young

2010

J Addict Offender Couns

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Section: Working With the Female Incarcerated Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Group Art Therapy With Incarcerated Women

Erickson

Young

2010

J Addict Offender Couns

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“…Research on drug-abusing women and men suggests that there are significant gender differences in the etiology of substance abuse, and researchers and clinicians have argued that treatment issues for women are different from those of men (Bloom, 1999;Covington & Surrey, 1997;Cranford & Williams, 1998;Grella & Joshi, 1999;Henderson, 1998;Messina, Wish, & Nemes, 2000;Shearer, 2003;Warren, et al, 2002;Wellisch, Anglin, & Prendergast, 1993;Wellisch, Prendergast, & Anglin, 1996). Compared with their male counterparts, drug-dependent women offenders are more likely to have extensive histories of sexual and physical abuse, coexisting psychiatric disorders, lower self-esteem, and more severe drug abuse histories (Deng, Vaughn, & Lee, 2003;Henderson, 1998;Langan & Pelissier, 2001;Owen & Bloom, 1995;Messina, Burdon, & Prendergast, 2003); a severe drug abuse history is a stronger predictor of criminal activity for women than for men (McClellan, Farabee, & Couch, 1997).…”

Section: Women's Drug Abuse and Related Incarcerationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Treating Drug-Abusing Women Prisoners: an Outcomes Evaluation of the Forever Free Program

Hall¹,

Prendergast²,

Wellisch³

et al. 2004

The Prison Journal

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Forever Free is an in-prison, residential, substance abuse treatment program employing a cognitive-behavioral curriculum designed for women. To assess this treatment model, 215 study volunteers in prison were recruited (119 treatment, 96 comparison); a 1-year follow-up was completed with 180 women (101 treatment, 79 comparison). Recidivism, drug use, and employment were examined. Bivariate analyses showed that treated women had significantly fewer arrests, less drug use, and greater employment. Cox regression analysis of time to reincarceration revealed that those with more lifetime arrests had a significantly increased risk of reincarceration; treatment group members and older subjects showed a trend toward decreased risk. Logistic regression analysis showed that treatment group membership and greater age predicted a lowered likelihood of drug use; heroin as the primary drug predicted a greater likelihood of use; and increased days in postrelease treatment and higher levels of education predicted employment.Although drug use and addiction among women have historically been lower than that of men, recent data show that drug use among women is reaching parity with that of men (Substance Abuse and Mental Health

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“…The analyses focus on women injection drug users as they often experience substantially different problems from those encountered by male IV drug users (Dwyer et al 1994;Wellisch et al 1993;Hser et al 1987). Research has demonstrated that IV drug using women are more likely than comparably aged nondrug using women to have drug using sex partners, as well as multiple sex partners, and IV drug using women are at high risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases (Brown and Weissman 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

cumulative continuity and injection drug use among women: a test of the downward spiral framework

2001

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Although researchers have examined injection drug use among women, the ndings vary and remain inconclusive. We know very little about the career of IV drug-using women -speci cally, what processes link injection drug use to events and situations prior to adulthood? Using detailed self-report data, we examine the route into injection drug use and its long-term consequences among a sample of incarcerated women. Comparisons are made between women who have and have not injected drugs within the conceptual framework developed by Rosenbaum (1981). We argue that IV drug using women live in social circumstances typi ed by a narrowing of life's options that decreases their ability to assume conventional roles. The results of path analyses suggest that women who have injected drugs experienced child maltreatment, were inundated in the drug culture, had fewer options in the conventional world, had expanded options in the nonconventional world, and lived in a chaotic lifestyle.We also found that women who have injected drugs were amenable to substance treatment programming while in prison. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that injection drug users have accumulated high levels of negative events across their life course that effectively narrows their access to conventional opportunities.

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Numbers and Characteristics of Drug-Using Women in the Criminal Justice System: Implications for Treatment

Cited by 57 publications

References 11 publications

Group Art Therapy With Incarcerated Women

Group Art Therapy With Incarcerated Women

Treating Drug-Abusing Women Prisoners: an Outcomes Evaluation of the Forever Free Program

cumulative continuity and injection drug use among women: a test of the downward spiral framework

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