GENDER-RESPONSIVE AND TRAUMA-INFORMED WORK WITH INCARCERATED WOMEN: AN IACFP INTERVIEW WITH DR. STEPHANIE COVINGTON

GENDER-RESPONSIVE AND TRAUMA-INFORMED WORK WITH INCARCERATED WOMEN: AN IACFP INTERVIEW WITH DR. STEPHANIE COVINGTON: PART II

IACFP: Do you think the stereotypic belief “once a criminal always a criminal” is applied to female offenders as it is to males?

SC: The same perception exists. I think the concept of the “criminal mind” has reinforced this belief. The reality is, as you and I know, the majority of people—males and female—who are in these institutions are there because of drug addiction, not because of their criminal mind. I always ask wardens of women’s facilities what percentage of the women under their custody do they believe could be supervised in the community, and usually I’m told about 75%. And then in our communities there are many barriers to re-entry; if you’re a drug felon you can’t get public housing, you can’t get grants to go to school…can’t get food stamps. I could murder somebody and get food stamps. There is a great deal of ignorance about women in correctional settings and a lot of short-sightedness.”


Because of the Oprah TV show, there are blogs so people can write in their responses to the show. Most of those writing online had positive things to say about the show. Often people commented on how much they had learned about women in prison. However, there were some who wrote things like: “I can’t believe anyone would waste their time to show these horrible women or don’t let any of these women come into my community. Some people are hostile and angry. I’ve also met people who don’t think that people who commit a crime should ever be given anything. They don’t realize that most of these women are just like your next door neighbor.” There is this lack of generosity…’I don’t want anybody to get anything I’ve worked really hard for.’ It’s very shortsighted.
I think there is just a lot of mythology and ignorance about our criminal justice system and who is there.

IACFP: Do you think it’s really possible to successfully do the work you propose and have been doing in a prison setting?


SC. It is. There are places in the country…or little pockets inside institutions…where you can do gender-responsive and trauma-informed work in a therapeutic environment. It always takes support at the top. In various settings, we are able to provide programs, make changes, and do things a little differently. Women do well when they’re given what they need. We saw this in a research study funded by NIDA in a California prison, and I’m currently working in Michigan with their Department of Corrections. We’ve made quite a few changes there, and we’re also running a pilot project in the MDoC. In the California project, twelve months post- release, we had decreased recidivism by 67%. So yes, it’s possible…but not necessarily easy.

Currently I am also working with women who are lifers or have long-term sentences What I’m trying to do is help them not only receive programming, but to also select those who are appropriate to receive training to be co-facilitators of some of the program material I have developed. Thus helping them to have a meaningful job.


Check back tomorrow for Part III of V
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For members who would like to follow up on any of the points in our interview, feel free to go to Dr. Covington’s website for additional information. It is www.stephaniecovington.com. I urge members to visit both her website and learn more about trauma-informed services. For publication information regarding publications by Dr. Covington, members can also visit the Hazelden website at www.hazelden.org