Alternatives to Incarceration
The Women’s Prison Association (WPA) works to reduce incarceration at any point in someone’s legal-system involvement.
We use a trauma-informed and gender-responsive approach to meet our clients where they are. We know that life is unpredictable, and we want our participants to maintain their everyday lives without being summoned away from their kids, their jobs, or their homes. Our dedicated and caring staff provides support every step of the way, giving clients resources and opportunities that lead to brighter futures.
JusticeHome
Our alternatives to incarceration (ATI) program, JusticeHome, advocates for women and LGBTQIA+ individuals to remain at home rather than being separated from their loved ones and community by jail or prison.
Founded in 2012, our innovative program is the nation’s first home-based alternatives to incarceration program, and has helped thousands of participants discover possibilities they might not have known even existed.
Gender-Responsive Case Management
JusticeHome provides participants with opportunities for stability and success, prioritizing prevention over punishment. JusticeHome participants receive wraparound case management and referrals to community-based programming. We help our clients connect to housing support, clinical counseling, employment training and job placement, and more.
We advocate on behalf of our clients in court before judges and prosecutors, helping them reduce their charges from felonies to misdemeanors, and in some cases, having these charges completely dismissed. Through court letters and accompaniment, we make the case for evidence-based practices that support our clients' short-term needs and long-term goals.
Through JusticeHome’s work, fewer women are incarcerated, fewer mothers are separated from their children, and our clients have access to more freedoms, more opportunities, and more chances to build a bright and fulfilling future. To learn more about how we further connect our clients to resources, click here.
Program Eligibility
We advocate for clients who:
- Are ages 18+
- Are currently detained at Rikers Island or in their communities, pre- and post-mandate
- Are facing active felony and/or misdemeanor charges in New York City and the surrounding area (as long as clients can commute to New York City for services)
Clients must meet all of these requirements to enroll.
Survivor’s Advocacy Project
We help women who are detained at Rikers Island receive the safety and services they need to build brighter futures.
The Survivor’s Advocacy Project (SAP) is a Rikers Island-based program that provides alternatives to incarceration and reentry support to women and LGBTQIA+ individuals impacted by intimate partner violence (IPV), sex trafficking, and sexual violence.
Trauma-Informed Compassionate Support
At WPA, we understand that trauma is often an underlying driver of incarceration for women and transgender people. SAP was created to address this issue through compassionate, specialized care, led by a team of case managers who are well-informed on what trauma survivors need to recover from their past and build brighter futures.
SAP program participants receive wraparound case management and court advocacy. We work with judges and prosecutors to enroll participants in JusticeHome, our home-based alternatives to incarceration program, and set them up to receive community-based support and services, including trauma-informed mental health counseling. Participants with legal needs are referred to our Law Project program. To learn more about how our clients receive community-based support, click here.
Trauma survivors deserve access to compassionate care and safety, not punishment and shame. SAP empowers survivors, honoring their experiences, resiliency, and strengths.
Program Eligibility
We advocate for clients who:
- Are ages 18+
- Are currently detained at Rikers Island or in their communities, pre- and post-mandate
- Have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual violence, and/or sex trafficking
- Are facing active felony and/or misdemeanor charges in New York City and the surrounding area (as long as clients can commute to New York City for services)
Clients must meet all of these requirements to enroll.
Programs
WPA offers comprehensive programs and services before, during, and after incarceration.
About WPA
WPA empowers participants to redefine their lives in the face of injustice and incarceration.