(FBOP) - Earlier this year, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Large Jail Network (LJN) met in San Diego, California. The meeting's theme was Justice-Involved Women: What Gender Responsiveness Looks Like and How It Can Improve Outcomes. As the population of women within the criminal justice system continues to increase, the focus of NIC and this LJN meeting was to promote best practices in addressing the needs of justice-involved women and the use of gender-responsive approaches.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco opened the meeting virtually by detailing the importance of understanding the use of gender-responsive practices in daily work. The LJN was fortunate to hear from Dr. Stephanie Covington and Dr. Barbara Bloom, experts in gender-responsive research and approaches in correctional settings. Both Drs. Covington and Bloom detailed the characteristics and pathways of women involved in the criminal justice system, as well as how trauma affects those women and how employees can be responsive. Dr. Carolyn Sufrin presented on women's health, the importance of being aware of postpartum women, and the health concerns that come with the incarceration of women. Additionally, Megan Pirie, director of Person-Centered Services with the Washington State Department of Corrections, outlined her pathway into incarceration and what led her to work for the Washington State Department of Corrections. A tour of San Diego's Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Center concluded the meeting, where participants viewed the progressive gender-responsive practices of the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.
The LJN is comprised of senior officials representing 65 of the largest jails in the nation. Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) representatives were able to join the LJN meeting in San Diego. Melanie Pederson, Southeast Region Social Worker; LCDR Jennifer Mewshaw, Regional Nurse Consultant; Myrna Bridges, National Policy and Program Coordinator; Jennifer Knox, National Policy and Program Coordinator; Raul Campos, Warden; Chad Garrett, Health Program Manager; and Tamara Klein, Mental Health Treatment Coordinator participated in the discussions about gender-responsive programming and practices.
The LJN has met for over 35 years and continues to grow as it focuses on discussing the most challenging and emerging issues within the criminal justice system. The importance of this network is shown not only by the time it has existed but also by the success of many of the participating agencies as they implement new ideas gained through attending LJN meetings or participating in NIC training.