Public Policy Solution #8
Special Needs of Women with Addiction Histories Who Are Under the Supervision of the Criminal Justice System Must be Addressed

Research demonstrates that to be most effective programs need to consider the unique needs of women with addiction histories who are reentering the community from the criminal justice system. Increasingly more women are being incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses, and like their male counterparts many of these women’s crimes are related to alcohol/ drug use and untreated addiction.

Forty percent of incarcerated women report being under the influence of drugs and 29 percent report being under the influence of alcohol at the time of their offenses. Sixty percent of women in state prisons were using drugs in the month before their offense. One-third of women in prison said they committed the offense to obtain money for drugs.¹ About three-quarters of women inmates are mothers – of these 62% are single mothers and 66% have children under the age of 18.²

Many women who use drugs have faced serious challenges to their well-being during their lives. For example, research indicates that as many as 70 percent of women in addiction treatment report histories of physical and sexual abuse.³ Many addicted women do not seek treatment because of concerns about child care and custody, reprisal from partners, and punishment from authorities in the community. Many women report that their drug-using male sex partners initiated them into drug use. Minority women may face additional cultural and language barriers that can affect or hinder their treatment and recovery.⁴ The most successful programs serving women address these special needs.

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