Help for Inmates
Building a Better Future... Through a Stronger Foundation
Help break the cycle of recidivism
There are now more women behind bars than at any other point in U.S. history. Women have borne a
disproportionate burden of the war on drugs, resulting in a monumental increase of women who are facing incarceration for the first time, overwhelmingly for non-violent offenses. This rampant incarceration has a devastating impact on families.
Most of these women, unseen and largely forgotten, are mothers. Unfortunately, pregnant women, incarcerated women and their children are subject to federal and state correctional policies that fail to recognize their distinct needs or honor their families.
Literature on prison reentry shows that connections to family and friends are strong predictors of success for women. Maintaining positive family contacts during and following incarceration fosters integration into the community and reduces recidivism. Good relationships with law-abiding intimate partners contribute to women’s financial security and reinforce their sense of competency. Law-abiding partners also can act as emotional role models and give social support
Resources For Women
2000 ROSES FOUNDATION INC.
P.O. Box 227015
Dallas TX 75222-7015
(214) 941-1333
Provides safe transitional housing, education, job training and entrepreneurial skills to help women live successfully after incarceration.
BATTERED WOMEN’S JUSTICE PROJECT
c/o BWJP Defense Office
125 South 9th Street, Suite 302
Philadelphia PA 19107
Provides assistance and information to battered women charged with crimes and to their defense teams. Free newsletter. Does not offer direct legal representation.
Chicago Books to Women in Prison
PO Box 14778
Chicago IL 60614
Sends free reading material to female inmates in IL, IN, OH, MS, CT, AZ, KY, FL and CA. Does not send to Texas inmates.
Families United for Racial + Economic Equality (FUREE)
81 Willoughby Street #701
Brooklyn NY 11201
(718) 852-2960
Brooklyn-based multiracial organization made up of almost exclusively women of color. Organizes low-income families to build power to change the system so that all people’s work is valued.
Fuerza Unida
710 New Laredo Hwy
San Antonio TX 78211
(210) 927-2294
Women’s group that helps families achieve justice through education, organizing, and advocacy.
Hasting’s Women’s Law Journal
U.C. Hastings College of the Law
200 McAllister Street
San Francisco CA 94102-4707
Seeking submissions from women in prison about their experiences.
Justice Now
1322 Webster Street, Suite 210
Oakland CA 94612
Justice Now is the first teaching law clinic in the country solely focused on the needs of women prisoners. Interns and staff provide legal services in areas of need identified by women prisoners, including:
compassionate release
healthcare access
defense of parental rights
sentencing mitigation
placement in community-based programs
Tenacious: Art and Writing by Women in Prison
c/o V. Law - Black Star Publishing
PO Box 20388
Tompkins Square Station
New York NY 10009
Zine by female inmates. $3 per zine, back issues available.
Women and Prison
Beyondmedia Education
4001 N. Ravenswood Ave. Suite 204-B
Chicago IL 60613
Online publisher covering issue of women in prison. Write for submission guidelines.
WOMEN ORGANIZED TO RESPOND TO LIFE-THREATENING DISEASES
449 15th Street, Suite 303
Oakland CA 94612
(510) 986-0340
Publishes a quarterly newsletter that includes a cover story of an inspiring woman living with HIV, treatment information and advocacy tips. Send for information and referrals on AIDS and other life threatening diseases.
WOMEN’S PRISON BOOK PROJECT
c/o Boneshaker Books
2002 23rd Ave S
Minneapolis MN 55404
Free books and reading materials to women and transgendered folks incarcerated in state and federal facilities. Serves all US states except CA, CT, FL, IL, IN, MA, MI, MS, OH, OR, and PA.
Programs for Women
Here are a couple additional links to sites we thought may be of further interest: