Women and the criminal justice system.

Some of the most neglected, misunderstood, and unseen individuals in our society are the more than one million women in our jails, prisons, and community correctional facilities. Although the rate of incarceration for women has increased dramatically (tripling in the last decade), prisons have not kept pace with the growth in the number of women inmates, nor has the criminal justice system adapted to meet women's needs, which are often quite different from those of men. This is particularly true in the areas of physical and mental health services. The health care needs of women have been virtually ignored by corrections and government officials, the medical and public health communities, and society at large (Freudenberg, 2002). This theme issue on women and girls in correctional settings begins to address this neglect by highlighting many of the important concerns and contributing to the growing knowledge base on the development of gender-responsive services (Covington & Bloom, 2006). When planning, developing, and providing services, it is important to know who the client is and what she brings to the treatment setting. The following describes the demographics and history of the typical female offender population and how various life factors impact women's and girls' physical and mental health. A national profile of women offenders reveals that they typically: • Are disproportionately women of color; • Are in their early-to-mid 30s;