BASELINE FOR SUCCESSFUL REHABILITATION Prisoner assessments should be comprised of three different considerations: the risk a prisoner poses, their individual needs, and sentence planning. The latter includes the activities (such as rehabilitation activities) that a prisoner should undertake during their sentence. To be effective, all assessments must be regularly reviewed and updated and the prisoner should be involved in the process. The shortage of information on female-specific rehabilitation needs is closely linked to the availability and quality of individualised assessments. In many prison systems, assessments focus too heavily on the risk a prisoner poses, at the expense of factors such as mental health, previous abuse, family circumstances and educational ability. Female prisoners in particular are often assigned an unnecessarily high security level, which can severely compromise their rehabilitation prospects. Sentence plans are the foundation of rehabilitation programmes and are designed to address the root causes of criminal activity. They can include training programmes as well as access to drug or alcohol dependency programmes, and can focus on issues such as personal relationships, family reconciliation and anger management. Rule 94 of the Nelson Mandela Rules calls for sentence plans to be compiled as soon as possible following a prisoner’s admission. Validation of prior learning is also key to good assessments and sentence planning, as all too often prisoners are given tasks that do not provide them with new skills. PROMISING PRACTICE: Gender-informed assessment and classification tools Women’s Risk Needs Assessment in the US The WRNA was developed following extensive literature searches and focus Recognising that women have very groups with correctional staff, treatment different pathways to prison than men practitioners and female prisoners. It takes and that traditional assessment tools are account of gendered pathways to crime male-orientated, the Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA)66 was developed in the and, in particular, any history of physical US by the National Institute of Corrections in and sexual abuse, trauma, mental illness, cooperation with the University of Cincinnati. self-medication and low levels of self-esteem and self-confidence. The WRNA is now used The WRNA comprises gender-responsive in at least 24 states in the US, and is also risk and needs assessment tools designed being implemented in the Czech Republic, to respond to the specific needs of female Namibia and Singapore. offenders in criminal justice systems, taking into account their distinct biological, social and psychological attributes. They include a case file review, a semi-structured interview, a written survey and a case management treatment plan tailored to women. Contact with the outside world Contact with family, friends and community can be crucial for the rehabilitation and social reintegration of prisoners and can reduce the risk of recidivism.67 As the main caregivers in most families, such contact can be particularly important for the rehabilitation of women prisoners. In many cases, regular contact with family allows women to repair broken ties, reduces the risk of family breakdown resulting from detention, and allows women to participate in family decisions and discussions, including in relation to childcare. Separation from family, and particularly from children, can be particularly detrimental to the psychological wellbeing of women prisoners and impacts their future rehabilitation prospects. Meaningful interactions with family, friends and the community also help prepare prisoners for life after prison, reduce the stigma of imprisonment, and motivate them to participate in rehabilitation programmes. Family visits close to the time of release are particularly important in helping prisoners and their families make post-release plans. However, many women in prison have little meaningful contact with their families. There are many reasons for this, including the fact that women prisoners are often ostracised by their families. 26 | Penal Reform International and Thailand Institute of Justice | Guide to the rehabilitation and social reintegration of women prisoners