Management Strategies When Working with Female Prisoners

Abstract

Scholars and practitioners have noted the potential for using understanding and language about the unique needs of women offenders to justify special controls over them in the prison setting. Using data from a national study of innovative management and programming strategies among correctional administrators, the present research examines management approaches needed for women, with a focus on the degree to which some administrators use stereotypes and/or perceived needs of women offenders in their rationale for choosing particular management strategies. Approximately 80 percent of the respondents reported that there is a need to use different management techniques for male and female prisoners. About half of these respondents noted that these differing management techniques are related to interpersonal skills and communication followed by programming needs and differences in general needs.