Your Cart

• Log in

• Related Products
• Parent
  • • The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability
• Associated
  • • Theoretical and Empirical Developments in Linking Job Quality Characteristics to Worker Satisfaction
  • • A Strategy Framework and Roadmap for Sustainable Supply Chain Management
  • • Sustainable Architecture
  • • Using Sustainability and Enterprise Education as a Focus for Teaching and Learning
  • • Short-term Study Abroad Courses in International Health
  • • The Economic and Environmental Impact of Communal Laundry Spaces in High Density Housing in the UK
  • • The Core Concept of Social Sustainability
  • • Empowering Female Mother Offenders through Health Education
  • • Sustainable Urban Habitats
  • • The Sustainability of Coastal Planning
  • More →

Empowering Female Mother Offenders through Health Education

By Rosie Vasquez and Savitri Singh-Carlson.

Published by The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability

Presently, non-violent female offenders with a history of drug abuse who are pregnant or parenting children can complete their prison sentence at a community mothers program if ordered by a judge. However, women who complete the program struggle to adapt in society and often relapse returning to prison. Currently there is a gap in the educational training of these community programs and often lack adequate information on essential services such as housing, food and healthcare for participants once they complete the program.
Students at CSULB assessed the needs of a group of non-violent female offenders living in a community mothers program in Southern California. An education needs assessment conducted, determined the needs of this population in preparation for their re-entry into society. Participants verbalized several health topics and resources they were interested in learning about.
As part of the implementation process, students reviewed the topics suggested and decided to create a health educational curriculum to include all the topics. The 90-minute sessions will be facilitated by the onsite staff nurse with the assistance of students. Each health session will involve interactive group discussion, visual aids, a power point presentation with pictures and incentives for participants. Participants will also receive a resources list for each county in California that will included information on access to low cost healthcare, legal services, job training, housing, food services, childcare, and rehabilitation centers.
The use of a post-test tool will evaluate the effectiveness of the health educational session and resource list. We hope that this tool will facilitate their transition back to society keeping the recidivism low. Women will be empowered with information on the health topics making them less likely to return to their old habits and stay out of the prison system once they have reliable resources targeted to their area of residence.

The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability, Volume 6, Issue 2, pp.183-190. Article: Print (Spiral Bound). Article: Electronic (PDF File; 612.144KB).

Rosie Vasquez

Los Angeles County Public Health, Long Beach, California, USA

Dr. Savitri Singh-Carlson

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Health Sciences, Long Beach, California, USA