The vast majority of women behind bars in the U.S. are non-violent offenders who committed crimes to feed drug addiction. Experts say that without successful treatment for substance abuse and training for re-entry into society, the odds are they will return to prison. In New York City a unique program, Project Greenhope, has helped thousands of women by working to heal their addictions and by giving them the tools they need to reclaim their lives. Remarkably, 70 percent of Project Greenhope’s women complete the program, compared to a 70 percent drop out rate for less comprehensive facilities.

The Legal Action Center recently completed the most comprehensive study done to date of the legal roadblocks that confront people with criminal records in each state, and in the nation as a whole. The study, After Prison: Roadblocks to Reentry, gives each state a grade based on how and to what extent its specific laws and policies create roadblocks to re-entry in the areas of employment, public assistance and food stamps, access to criminal records, voting, public housing, adoptive and foster parenting, and drivers' licenses. The best grade went to the state of New York, with a score of 10 roadblocks, and the worst record of performance was found in Colorado, with a score of 48 roadblocks.

According to the study, thirty-five states consider the relevance of an applicant’s criminal record in making a determination about an applicant’s suitability to be an adoptive or foster parent. Fifteen states have flat bars against people with criminal records becoming adoptive or foster parents.

On the issue of driving, 27 states automatically suspend or revoke licenses for some or all drug offenses; the other half of the states either suspend or revoke licenses only for driving-related offenses or have opted out of the federal law imposing this. Four states — Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, and South Carolina — revoke or suspend drivers’ licenses for longer than six months for drug convictions unrelated to driving.

When it comes to finding employment, employers in most states can deny jobs to people who were arrested but never convicted of any crime. In addition, employers in most states can deny jobs to — or fire — anyone with a criminal record, regardless of individual history, circumstance, or “business necessity.”

Furthermore, all but two states place some restrictions on the right to vote for people with felony convictions.

For more information on the challenges for people released for prison trying to reintegrate into society, read the full Legal Action Center study.

Further Resources

Women in Prison Project
The Women in Prison Project of the Correctional Association of New York was created in 1991 in response to an alarming increase in the incarceration of women. The Project promotes and supports an increased awareness of the issues facing women in the criminal justice system. To that end, the Project conducts educational forums and produces reports and fact sheets about women in the criminal justice system, available on the Project's site.

The Women's Prison Association & Home, Inc.
The Women's Prison Association & Home, Inc. (WPA) is a nonprofit agency working to create opportunities for change in the lives of women prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families. WPA provides programs through which women acquire life skills needed to end involvement in the criminal justice system and to make positive, healthy choices for themselves and their families. WPA also strives to increase public awareness of, and support for, effective, community-based responses to crime. The site provides several publications for download and information on WPA programs.

NOW's Resources for Recovery
NOW's program "Rebuilding Lives" profiled David Lewis and his organization Free at Last. Free At Last operates on the assumption that a complex of issues exacerbate substance abuse and contribute to high levels of imprisonment and recidivism. Some related resources to aid in recovery are listed here.