Mental Health Challenges Faced by Justice-Impacted Women

Women impacted by the criminal legal system face layered expectations: secure stable housing, meet supervision requirements, reunify with children, and gain employment. These demands are often made without regard for the trauma they carry or the barriers they face.

At the Women’s Prison Association (WPA), our Clinical Services center on support, recovery, and possibility. It’s our goal to make sure justice-impacted women have the resources they need to stabilize and thrive within their communities. 

Mental Health Disorders Among Justice-Impacted Women

Studies show that incarcerated women are more likely than incarcerated men to have a history of mental health problems (Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics), and 1 in 4 women incarcerated meet the criteria for lifetime serious mental illness (SMI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance misuse disorders (Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance). Many women impacted by the criminal legal system report histories of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; in one study, up to 90% of the women surveyed self-reported these past traumas (Source: Messina & Grella, 2006).

These shortcomings are reflected in the lives and experiences of the women we serve. When screening WPA housing clients, we found that: 

• 91% report a history of trauma
• Over 50% screen positive for anxiety, PTSD, or depression
• Most have never accessed behavioral health care before WPA

Without setting up our clients with the care and resources they need, everything else is at risk. By helping our clients stabilize, heal, and thrive, we can prevent the cycle from repeating.

Trauma-Informed Care Approaches

WPA delivers trauma-informed clinical care built by women, for women. We provide holistic support in the community, grounded in safety, trust, and dignity. By addressing the intersection of trauma and the criminal legal system, as well as the systemic challenges our clients face, we help them set and achieve their goals. 

Our Clinical Services offer: 

• Individual and group counseling
• Behavioral health screening and treatment planning
• Expressive and somatic healing
• Peer-led support and trauma education
• Parenting and reunification care
• Psychiatric referrals
• Self-care workshop series

Through a variety of supportive services, our clients can take comfort in knowing that options are available to meet their individual and unique needs. 

An Effective Model of Care

Our Beauty & Breakthrough (B&B) Series is one example of our model in action.

Created for Black, Brown, and Indigenous women navigating reentry and motherhood, this weekly program offers guided movement, storytelling, and creative expression in family-safe, culturally affirming spaces. Clients are encouraged to share experiences in the method that’s most comfortable for them while respecting others, including journaling, role plays, and healing circles. It helps women reconnect with their bodies and find their voices—often for the first time in years.

Effectiveness of Holistic Services on Behavioral Health

At WPA, we utilize evidence-based strategies to address behavioral health, resulting in real and impactful changes in the behavioral health of our clients. 

Our Successful Model

• 456 women received clinical support in 2024
• On track to serve 500+ women and children in 2025
• Clients report stronger emotional regulation, self-confidence, and parenting capacity
• Clinical care increases engagement in housing, workforce, and reunification programs

We provide clinical care that addresses our clients’ trauma histories and builds safety, stability, and generational change. This is the care women deserve. This is the model systems should follow.

Learn more about our Clinical Services and the effective approaches we use with our clients.