The Assessment and Treatment of Women Offenders - An Integrative Perspective

There is a large body of research that provides guidance for those working with offenders on how they should be treated once they are in the correctional system. The problem is that most, if not all this research has been conducted on all male populations and it is assumed that women offenders are the same. However, women have different needs and support systems than men in some areas of their lives and it is unclear whether all research based on men can be generalized in this way. The book provides a review of the research literature to guide evidence-based practice in the assessment and treatment of adult female offenders. An historical overview of women's crime and imprisonment will be followed by a global review of various theories of female criminality.  The remainder of the book reviews the psychology of criminal conduct, with a specific focus on three psychological principles of effective intervention: risk, need and responsivity. Respectively, these principles set the 'who', 'what' and 'how' for correctional intervention.


Kelley Blanchette completed her doctorate in forensic psychology at Carleton University, Ottawa, 10 2005. Her dissertation was focused on the development and field validation of a gender-informed security classification scale for women offenders. The scale has subsequently been implemented into national practice within the Canadian federal correctional system.
Dr. Blanchette has been working with the Research Branch, Correctional Service of Canada, since 1993. She is currently the Director of Women Offender Research, and she has published extensively in this area.

Shelley Brown completed her doctorate in forensic psychology at Queen's University, Kingston in 2002. Her dissertation focused on understanding the criminal recidivism process with a specific interest in exploring how changes in dynamic risk factors influence criminal recidivism.
Dr. Brown has over ten years' experience working with the Research branch, Correctional Service of Canada. During this time her research with women focused primarily on developing gender-informed assessment strategies. Currently, she is the Research Advisor to the National Parole Board of Canada. She is also an adjunct professor with Carleton University and teaches a criminology research methods course.