The Women’s Prison Association: Supporting Women Offenders and Their Families

Published in December of 1998 by the Women’s Prison Association & Home

This Program Focus provides an in-depth look at the Women’s Prison Association (WPA), a nonprofit agency in New York City that offers a broad array of institution- and community-based services to
incarcerated women through a portfolio of four programs, WPA offers peer education, support,
and transitional services to female inmates who are HIV+ or at risk for infection; and emergency and transitional housing, individualized case management services, skills-building workshops, child care, counseling, and other supports to released women, their children, and their families.

While this report uses language to describe incarcerated women no longer used in the criminal justice reform space, it provides context into WPA’s programs and services that continue to this day to be community-based, trauma-informed, and family-focused.

Read the full report below and download the file at the link provided.

This Program Focus was written by Catherine Conly, Associate at Abt Associates Inc. In preparing the document, she met at length with Ann Jacobs, executive director of WPA, and with WPA staff. She also interviewed numerous clients and observed a variety of program activities. Ms. Conly was assisted by
Kathy Mion, an Analyst at Abt Associates Inc., who conducted telephone interviews with a number of criminal justice professionals and representatives of organizations that fund WPA’s programs.

Findings and conclusions of the research reported here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.