Pubdate: Thu, 17 Jul 2003
Source: Herald, The (SC)
Copyright: 2003 The Herald
Contact:  http://www.heraldonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/369
Author: Karen Addy, Herald Columbia Bureau
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/women.htm (Women)

S.C. CORRECTIONS OFFICIAL CALLS FOR PLAN TARGETING FEMALE OFFENDERS

Numbers Growing; Substance-Abuse Problems Noted

COLUMBIA -- Women are increasing as a percentage of the state's offender 
population, and the director of the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole 
and Pardons Services says new tailored strategies are needed. "Supervising 
the female offender is totally different than supervising the male 
offender," said DPPPS Director Jim McClain. "When I came here a few months 
ago, I realized immediately that this department had to come up with 
strategies that took into account those differences."

On Tuesday, McClain held the first in a series of forums to seek advice 
from drug abuse counselors, defense attorneys, academics, his own officers, 
people who operate domestic abuse shelters and offenders on improving the 
department's approach.

McClain told the dozen or so participants that 10 years ago, women made up 
13 percent of the state offender population. Today, they comprise 17 
percent. About 6,000 of the 35,000 offenders directly supervised by 
McClain's agency are women. There are approximately 1,700 women 
incarcerated in South Carolina state prisons.

In York County, there are 375 women under the supervision of the DPPPS. In 
Lancaster County, there are 95; Chester County has 42.

Nationally, while the number of men under correctional control increased by 
45 percent during the past decade, the number of women increased by 83 
percent, according to the results of a three-year National Institute of 
Corrections study on female offenders published in June.

Female offenders tend to be nonviolent, but the majority have 
substance-abuse problems, Sumter County probation officer Polly Smith told 
the group. In addition, most have been the victim of domestic or sexual 
abuse, she said. Most female offenders have at least high school diploma, 
making them a much better educated group than male offenders on average. 
The majority became em-broiled in the criminal justice system after 
committing either drug, traffic or property offenses.

"If we can get them off drugs and get them a job, they usually turn 
around," Smith said.

Sammie Brown, a S.C. Department of Corrections program coordinator, said 
drug treatment staff for women's prisons has been significantly reduced by 
budget cuts. She also said job training opportunities have de-clined.

Kathy Riley, an administrator with The Women's Shelter in Columbia, advised 
McClain that halfway house beds are needed to help women transition from 
prison.

In South Carolina, there are only 16 state-run halfway house beds for 
females, and only about 200 for males, Anne Walker, executive director of 
the Alston Wilkes Society, said. Private non-profit shelters also have long 
waiting lists.

McClain said one of his priorities this year will be to lobby legislators 
to invest about $1 million to reopen a Colum-bia residential halfway house 
restitution center. The center was closed due to budget cuts last year. 
McClain wants the center to serve women exclusively.

Two such centers operate in Spartanburg and Charles-ton, and McClain said 
they are highly successful in helping offenders clear up crime-related 
financial obligations while remaining drug free and adjusting to full-time work.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager