Service Needs for Incarcerated Adults: Exploring Gender Differences

Abstract

Although men comprise the largest segment of the jail population, women are entering jails at increasingly higher rates than men. Previous research has found that incarceration is associated with multiple factors, including homelessness, substance use disorders, and mental illness, however, gender differences in services needs for female and male inmates is understudied. This study explores gender differences among a representative sample of incarcerated individuals (n = 725) from a Midwestern, urban jail. Women in the sample presented with higher rates of homelessness prior to incarceration, anticipated postincarceration homelessness, serious mental illness, substance use disorder, and trauma histories than men, as well as higher rates of multiple and co-occurring risk factors. These findings point to the need for social work interventions initiated at jail intake. Such interventions could impact parenting, housing stability, and mental health and prevent future incarceration, reoffending and relapse for this high-risk population of women.