Click on the following links. Please note these will open in a new window.

Activity 1: Video Interview

Watch this video interview with Susan Burton on Women’s Rehabilitation via YouTube.

• What are the implications of Susan Burton’s story for social work? For policy makers and advocates?

Activity 2: The Sentencing Project

The Sentencing Project works for a fair and effective U.S. criminal justice system by promoting reforms in sentencing policy, addressing unjust racial disparities and practices, and advocating for alternatives to incarceration.

• Select Issues, then Incarceration. How has the prison population changed over the last 30 years? What do you think is the cause of this change?
• Select Racial Disparity. According to the infographic, what is the likelihood that you will be imprisoned? How do you compare with others?
• Select Women. What are some factors that impact the likelihood of a woman becoming incarcerated?

Activity 3: Restorative Justice

Restorative justice emphasizes repairing the harm caused by crime, by having victims, offenders, and community members meet and interact.

• Select Restorative Justice, then About Restorative Justice. What are some of the benefits of restorative justice?
• Select Restorative Justice, then Victim Support and Restorative Justice. Scroll down to the link of a Victim Telling Her Story. After watching the video, describe how restorative justice was helpful to this woman.

Activity 4: Women’s Prison Association

The Women’s Prison Association works with women at all stages of criminal justice involvement. WPA promotes alternatives to incarceration, helps women living in the community to avoid arrest or incarceration by making positive changes in their lives, provides support to women inside prison or jail, and provides resources as they plan for release, as well as after incarceration.

• Select Services, then Alternatives to Incarceration. How does Justice Home provide an alternative to incarceration?
• Select Services, then Blackbird at WPA. What are some of the goals of this project?
• Select Resources, then For Service Providers, then view the Success in the Community Matrix. According to the matrix, what are the key areas of need and the phases to achieving the goals? How would you advocate for a client to achieve one of these goals?