Women Offenders’ Criminogenic Risks and Needs: Examining the Utility of a Gender-Responsive Risk Assessment in the Czech Republic

• In Event: Gender and Correctional Contexts

Abstract

The status of justice-related women in the Czech Republic has not yet been extensively researched in academic literature. This research seeks to enhance literature on the needs of female offenders in the former Eastern Bloc, and reveal the feasibility of implementing the Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA) in the Czech Republic. First, this project includes close cooperation with a women’s prison in Svetla nad Sazavou, Czech Republic where trained staff will pilot the WRNA with women inmates at intake (n = 100). Results will uncover both insights about the usefulness of the tool from focus groups with correctional employees, as well as specific criminogenic and case management needs of the Czech justice-related women. Additionally, the WRNA will be administered to 15-20 drug-addicted women who are currently on probation or post-release supervision to determine their attitudes toward the face validity of the WRNA. These women will be recruited to the study using snowball sampling with cooperation from the Aftercare Center Renarkon o.p.s. in Ostrava, Czech Republic, an outpatient drug treatment clinic. Together, results will reveal the challenges and benefits of scaling implementation of the WRNA in the Czech correctional system.

Authors

• Tereza Trejbalova, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Emily Salisbury, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Gabriela Slovakova, Prison Service of the Czech Republic