For 2306, a look at the evolving nature of criminal justice in Texas.
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More than 12,000 women were incarcerated in Texas prison facilities as of August 2018, and nearly 11,000 were released from state custody in the preceding year, according to TDCJ. Texas has a relatively low recidivism rate compared with other states, with about 20% of those leaving state prisons being reincarcerated within three years. That number is 15% for women. (More than 40% are rearrested within the same time frame.)
But the increasing number of women in a male-dominated prison system has raised criticism over a lack of opportunities at women’s prisons. This year, state lawmakers passed multiple bills to improve gender-specific services, including a measure requiring the agency to adopt more educational, vocational and reentry programs geared toward women.
With the creation of STRIVE, an acronym for Strength Through Restoration, Independence, Vision and Empowerment, prison officials said they chose women they determined would have a higher risk of ending up back in prison without additional support. It’s free for the women, and officials said the agency hired a couple of new employees, though it’s mostly run with existing staff and equipment. As the program grows — the agency aims to double it by the end of the year — officials said women in state prisons will be eligible if they aren’t in high-security custody or other treatment programs.
