Women's Justice Report Series

In 2014, the Texas Center for Justice and Equity sent surveys to 1,600 female inmates incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), and more than 430 women completed the survey, providing extensive and detailed information about themselves and their experiences prior to and during incarceration.

While we provided preliminary findings to legislators and the public, we are now excited to present a two-part report series that offers more insight from the brave system-involved women who shared their experiences with us.

Throughout these reports, we also provide information obtained from TDCJ, from formerly incarcerated women, and from people serving incarcerated or formerly incarcerated women. To effectively highlight women’s specific needs and circumstances, we offer data related to men for comparison purposes.

While the issues facing system-impacted women are abundant and complex, two predominant themes developed in our research. First, the number of women in the Texas criminal justice system has been rapidly increasing for decades. Second, Texas is failing to adequately support these women and treat them with dignity.

In the first report in this series, A Growing Population: The Surge of Women into Texas’ Criminal Justice System, the Texas Center for Justice and Equity explores the concerning increase in the number of justice system-involved women in Texas, and we recommend programs and policies that can reverse this trend and effectively redirect women away from the criminal justice system.

In the second report in this series, An Unsupported Population: The Treatment of Women in Texas’ Criminal Justice System, the Texas Center for Justice and Equity explores the unique issues facing system-impacted women, including the challenges they face within TDCJ facilities, and we recommend programs and policies that treat women with dignity and increase the likelihood that they can successfully rejoin their families and communities.