Bill Overview
Title: Women in Criminal Justice Reform Act
Description: This bill establishes programs and requirements to address the health and wellness of women in the criminal justice system. For example, the bill requires the Bureau of Prisons to (1) ensure that all incarcerated women have access to basic standards of health care specific to their needs, and (2) develop and implement gender-responsive training for its officers and employees.
Sponsors: Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37]
Target Audience
Population: Incarcerated women
Estimated Size: 231000
- The bill specifically targets women who are currently incarcerated, hence they will be directly impacted by the changes in health care services and training programs for officers.
- Globally, the number of incarcerated women is estimated to be around 700,000 based on available global prison populations data.
- The bill's primary impact will be on improving health care and wellness for incarcerated women and possibly also improving conditions through gender-responsive training for officers.
Reasoning
- The target population consists of incarcerated women, which directly influences the selection of interview subjects.
- We should have a mix of those directly affected (incarcerated women), those indirectly affected (family members), and those potentially unaffected (general public not directly involved with the justice system).
- Cost constraints might limit the comprehensive application of the policy, such as how many facilities can be updated and how effectively staff can be trained initially.
- Public awareness and perception of such policies can also vary, influencing indirect impacts such as public support for further reforms.
- Factors such as varying prison conditions and existing levels of healthcare amongst facilities will affect the starting point for improvements predicted by the policy.
- While the primary focus is on immediate healthcare improvements, the long-term changes may result in improved rehabilitation outcomes for affected women.
Simulated Interviews
Incarcerated (Boston, MA)
Age: 36 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am hopeful that the policy will improve my access to healthcare, especially since my migraines have been ignored in the past.
- I believe that better-trained officers could lead to a less stressful prison environment.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Public defender (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy feels like a much-needed step in the right direction for addressing gender-specific needs in prisons.
- I think it may reduce healthcare complaints from my clients in the future.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Corrections officer (Salt Lake City, UT)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The training sounds even more job for us, but it could make daily operations smoother if it helps reduce conflicts.
- My hope is that it helps officers better understand gender-specific issues.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
Activist (New York, NY)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm cautiously optimistic, as similar policies have struggled to secure long-term funding and support.
- Improving conditions for incarcerated women can have a ripple effect on their families.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Retired nurse (Houston, TX)
Age: 62 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The provision of better healthcare to incarcerated women is crucial.
- I am worried whether the funding will be adequate to sustain improvements.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Paralegal (Chicago, IL)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Policies like this could improve post-prison life as well, as better health means women leave in better conditions.
- It will be interesting to see how different prisons implement the changes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Sister of incarcerated woman (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This gives me hope that my sister will have better access to necessary healthcare.
- I fear initial impact might be small unless the program is well supported.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Psychologist (Denver, CO)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's a positive attempt at reducing trauma for women in prisons through healthcare.
- Resulting mental health improvements could lead to lower reoffending rates.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Incarcerated (Miami, FL)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to ongoing cancer treatments is my biggest concern, which this policy might address.
- My daily life here might remain unchanged, but hope for improved healthcare is enough.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Journalist (Seattle, WA)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Policies targeting women's health in prison are often lacking, this might change that.
- The real test will be in how these changes are measured and reported over time.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $250000000 (Low: $200000000, High: $300000000)
Year 2: $255000000 (Low: $205000000, High: $305000000)
Year 3: $260000000 (Low: $210000000, High: $310000000)
Year 5: $275000000 (Low: $225000000, High: $325000000)
Year 10: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $350000000)
Year 100: $500000000 (Low: $400000000, High: $600000000)
Key Considerations
- The initial costs to implement and maintain these programs may be substantial but can yield long-term savings.
- States and local jurisdictions might consider aligning their policies with federal standards, affecting broader application and overall costs.
- Public health and safety outcomes need to be monitored to assess the policy's effectiveness and caveat scalability.