For additional resources for policymakers and practitioners, visit our online Toolkit.

Women, Reentry and Everyday Life: Time to Work? [Publication] This original research study examines women's efforts to find and keep employment after incarceration, as they navigate the time demands imposed upon them by multiple public systems.  It also provides recommendations for service providers on assisting women in setting goals and developing the time management strategies needed to meet their goals.  (Download PDF)

Addressing Women's Incarceration: A National Survey of State Commissions and Task Forces on Women in the Criminal Justice System [Online Tool] This online resource highlights 20 state-level commissions and task forces created to face the challenges presented by growth in women’s criminal justice involvement. Providing links to authorizing legislation, final reports, as well as other information generated by these bodies, this resource is meant to serve as a tool for decision-makers and concerned community members. (Download PDF)

WPA Peer Mentor Escort to Care program featured in Connecting to Care II [Publication] WPA’s Peer Training Institute is featured in the second edition of the AIDS Action Foundation's Connecting to Care Workbook.  The Workbook examines 25 programs that successfully connect individuals living with HIV/AIDS to medical care in the community.  WPA’s Peer Training Institute employs women with histories of criminal justice involvement as Peer Mentors to help  women recently released from state and city correctional facilities.  Peer Mentors accompany women to important appointments in the community including meetings with primary care physicians and specialists for ongoing treatment.  After their 9-month employment with WPA, Peer Mentors are well-equipped to secure full time employment or expand their educational opportunities.

For further information about the Peer Mentor program, click here.

The Punitiveness Report-HARD HIT: The Growth in Imprisonment of Women, 1977-2004 [Report] A new report commissioned by the Institute on Women & Criminal Justice finds that female imprisonment in the U.S. has skyrocketed 757 percent since 1977. "The Punitiveness Report-HARD HIT: The Growth in Imprisonment of Women, 1977-2004" takes an in-depth look at female prison population growth patterns and regional trends, and it provides the first state-by-state analysis of female imprisonment from 1977 to 2004, with findings from all 50 states. The report was authored by Dr. Natasha Frost, Assistant Professor at Northeastern University, and Judith Greene and Kevin Pranis of Justice Strategies. (Download PDF )

Press Inquiries: Sarah From, 646-336-6100, ext. 7749
E-mail: sfrom@wpaonline.org

Improving the Odds: Women in Community Corrections
An article by WPA Executive Director Ann Jacobs on increasing women's prospects for success in the community. The article was published in Women, Girls & Criminal Justice and was presented to the Annual Conference of the American Society of Criminology in November 2004.
(Download Article or Presentation)

Alternative to Incarceration Programs: Cut Crime, Cut Costs, and Help People and Communities [Pamphlet] Developed in collaboration with the New York City ATI Coalition, 2004. Educational piece about the advantages of alternatives to incarceration for government, individuals, and communities. (Download PDF)

Breaking the Walls of Silence: AIDS and Women in a New York State Maximum Security Prison [Book] Written by members of the AIDS Counseling and Education (ACE) Program of the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, 1998. Documents the origins of the ACE program and provides a series of nine education and counseling workshops that any community, family, or individual can use to break the silence that surrounds AIDS and HIV. WPA has coordinated the ACE program since the early 1990s. Available for $29.95 at bookstores and online booksellers.

Family to Family- Tools for Rebuilding Foster Care: Partnerships between Corrections and Child Welfare [Cross-training tool] Developed by WPA with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2002. Offers a framework for fostering collaboration between the corrections and child welfare systems. Includes a self-assessment tool as well as best practices for working with child welfare- and criminal justice-involved women. (Download PDF)

Focus on Women & Justice Series [Fact Sheets], Developed by WPA.
• Trends in Incarceration, August 2003 (Download PDF)
• Barriers to Reentry, October 2003 (Download PDF)
• A Portrait of Women in Prison, December 2003 (Download PDF)
• North Carolina Up Close, April 2004 (Download PDF)
• Arizona Up Close, May 2004 (Download PDF)
• Trends in Arrests and Sentencing, May 2004 (Download PDF)

Give 'em a Fighting Chance: The Challenges for Women Offenders Trying to Succeed in the Community [Article] Written by Ann Jacobs, Executive Director, WPA. Featured in Topics in Community Corrections, Annual Issue, 2000: “Responding to Women Offenders in the Community.” Describes how multiple systems interact to create barriers to successful community reintegration for women leaving prison or jail. (Download PDF)

A Guide To The New York Child Welfare System [Cross-training manual] Written by WPA. A comprehensive cross-training manual for service providers, parents, and systems officials who come in contact with the child welfare system. Includes information on locating a child in the foster care system, obtaining information on family court proceedings, facilitating visits between incarcerated mothers and their children, and making informed decisions concerning the care of children when a parent is incarcerated. Available only from WPA. To purchase, send a check in the amount of $5.00 made out to the Women's Prison Association, to
WPA
Attn: Beverly Astwood
110 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10003
For more information or for bulk orders, contact Beverly Astwood at (646) 336-6100, ext. 7742 or at bastwood@wpaonline.org.

A Guide To The New York Criminal Justice System [Cross-training manual] Written by WPA. A comprehensive cross-training manual for service providers, families, and systems officials who come in contact with the criminal justice system. This guide outlines the steps confronting women in the criminal justice system, describes the courts, case process, and sentencing activity, and provides information on locating and maintaining contact with inmates in jail or prison. Available only from WPA. To purchase, send a check in the amount of $5.00 made out to the Women's Prison Association, to
WPA
Attn: Beverly Astwood
110 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10003
For more information or for bulk orders, contact Beverly Astwood at (646) 336-6100, ext. 7742 or at bastwood@wpaonline.org.

A Report on the First Ten Years of the Sarah Powell Huntington House [Program report] Women’s Prison Association, 2003. A publication documenting the success of the first decade of WPA’s transitional shelter that reunites formerly incarcerated women with their children. (Download PDF)

Training Manual on Working with Women in the Criminal Justice System [Training manual] Developed by the Women’s Justice Alliance, 1997. A manual of tools to help service providers better address the multiple needs of women involved in the criminal justice system. Available only from WPA. To purchase, send a check in the amount of $15.00 made out to the Women's Prison Association, to
WPA
WPA
Attn: Beverly Astwood
110 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10003
For more information or for bulk orders, contact Beverly Astwood at (646) 336-6100, ext. 7742 or at bastwood@wpaonline.org.

The Women's Prison Association: Supporting Women Offenders and Their Families [Program report] The National Institute of Justice Program Focus, 1998. An in-depth look at the program services offered by the Women’s Prison Association. (Download PDF)

Many publications listed here are available for free download as PDF files. If you do not have a PDF viewer, you can download one for free.