Second Chance Women's Reentry Court

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

The Los Angeles Second Chance Women’s Re-entry Court diverts female offenders charged with a new felony who would otherwise face an imminent state prison commitment into court-monitored treatment services to reduce recidivism. The program provides evidence-based, gender-responsive, trauma-informed, and culturally competent individualized treatment which includes: substance abuse treatment, mental health services, housing, employment assistance, child reunification, and domestic violence counseling. Participants in the program receive six months of residential treatment followed by 6 to 12 months of outpatient services. Women may bring with them up to two children 10 years old or younger into the residential treatment. The program is based on the Drug Court model, which combines intensive supervision, mandatory drug testing, positive reinforcement, appropriate sanctions, and court-supervised treatment to address participants’ criminal activity and underlying issues. Since formal operations began in 2007, 116 women have been formally admitted into the program and only 12 women (10%) have been terminated from the program and sent to prison. Comparatively, approximately 70% of prisoners released from California prisons returned to custody within three years.