Good morning all!
Last week, ISLG released an RFWP focused on exploring and understanding pathways to jail focused on women and survivors.
Despite recent reductions in jail populations across the country, the rapid increase in the number of women incarcerated in U.S. jails over the past few decades highlights a critical yet often overlooked issue within the criminal justice system. Despite the significant success in reducing jail populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the growth of women in the jail population (9%) has outpaced the growth in the overall jail population (4%) post-pandemic (2021-2022) according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Though populations of women in SJC jails have remained at levels lower than the pre-pandemic period, there has been a 24 percent increase in women's incarceration in SJC sites between 2021 and 2022. Raising the visibility of this issue is essential given the disproportionate impact of post-pandemic jail population trends for women and the fact that, as a marginalized group, women face unique challenges and vulnerabilities that are not adequately addressed by a system designed primarily for men. Though there is a significant amount of research and literature around incarcerated women's needs and women's pathways into the criminal justice system, these studies typically focus on women's needs and pathways to prison. Understanding the similarities and/or differences in pathways that lead women and survivors to jail is crucial to developing more gender-responsive, equitable, and effective criminal justice policies focused on reducing jail populations.
The RFWP is attached here for reference. As a reminder, this opportunity is open to all SJC Research Consortium members only. ISLG will be accepting research proposals in response to this RFWP through the end of November.
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Bryn Eckman
Senior Research Associate
CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance
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