Updated March 19, 2024
A lot of discussion in monitoring programming inherently focuses on male participants. While men undoubtedly account for the majority of community monitoring programming – as men represent 93.3% of the current prison population – it is still important to emphasize the unique needs of women in monitoring programs and to design solutions that meet those needs effectively. After all, if we are not considering the female participant perspective during software, hardware, and program development, we are not working to equitably rehabilitate all of our program participants.Â
The implementation of smartphones into community monitoring programming has especially benefited women participants whose roles in households and societies create unique needs for the devices and challenges with their alternatives. We’ve outlined a few of the many ways that smartphone monitoring supports positive outcomes among women participants.Â
Smartphones offer increased discretion for women who face more challenges in concealing an ankle monitor.
In past posts, we’ve discussed the stigma associated with ankle monitors. They tend to be large, easily recognized, and unchanged in appearance since their development in the 80s. While Corrisoft’s BluTAG® device is smaller and thus more discreet than others on the market, it is still challenging for women to conceal. Devices are one-size, meaning that they are more noticeable when worn by people with smaller figures which impacts women more than men.
Simultaneously, women’s clothing is less likely to conceal an ankle-worn device than men’s clothing. This creates unique challenges for women who work while enrolled in monitoring programs. If their work uniform or dress code does not provide options that can conceal their device – for example, if they are required to wear a skirt, dress, or tapered pants while male counterparts wear traditional slacks or trousers – they are open to more negative feedback than their male counterparts.Â
Corrisoft’s AIR® Mobile device is a widely applicable alternative that alleviates many of the challenges and stigma that ankle-monitor wearers face. Its design is similar to many smartphones on the market and is indistinguishable from a corrections-specific device. It can easily be slipped into a purse, backpack, or pocket, connecting participants to their program wherever they go without the added stigma of wearing an ankle monitor.
Smartphones can connect women with mental health services and support.Â
A study from the World Health Organization found about 80% of women in prisons have some type of mental health diagnosis. Additionally, women in prison are five times more likely to experience mental health challenges than the general population. Reentry can be a difficult process for anyone, but with the right support systems in place, success is possible. Whether it’s connecting with a support group or a mental health professional, help is just a click away with Corrisoft’s AIR® Mobile and Check-In app. Even if people aren’t quite sure where to start to get the support they need, our products can easily connect them to someone — like their supervision officer — who can help.
As women are more likely to shoulder child care responsibilities, smartphones can provide needed flexibility in care.Â
Data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that 58% of women in prison are mothers. Some sources estimate that the percentage of mothers in jail is even higher – with some sources estimating that 80% of women in local jails are parents. With the mean age of children to women in prison being 10 years old, it is undeniable that women facing release from prison will need support with child care should they be reunited with their children upon release.
According to a global survey conducted by the United Nations, women in the United States spend nearly twice as much time throughout the week caring for children than men do. COVID-19 shifted the way that people care for their children while balancing work, and the impact has negatively affected women from lower-income communities. Higher-paying jobs are more likely to offer hybrid or remote work opportunities, which allow women to balance unpaid child care and paid work, while lower-income roles are more likely to have rigid schedules and in-person work requirements.
The implication here is simple – if you have ever cared for a child, you know how challenging it is to be woken up in the night to find them running a fever or to get a call from the school that campus is closed for inclement weather. A trip to the local urgent care facility or a day you must spend at home because of ice can throw a wrench in work plans and program compliance for mothers in monitoring programs. With traditional ankle monitors, mothers are left with little ability to notify case managers and explain their circumstances.
With a smartphone, women are empowered to connect with their support professionals and work through challenges together. In-person meetings can be transitioned to smartphone-based video calls, exceptions to home confinement can be made to accommodate a trip to the pediatrician, and employers can be contacted to make changes to the woman’s schedule.
Each of these simple actions supports women not only as monitoring participants but as mothers, employees, and people building personal accountability following incarceration.
Women benefit from forward-thinking monitoring solutions.Â
The reasons outlined above and the many we haven’t included here demonstrate the value of smartphones in community monitoring programs. Specifically for women, they can provide increased discretion, a lifeline in instances of domestic partner violence, and a meaningful tool to help them balance child care and program compliance.
While these benefits extend to men, they represent solutions to burdens that disproportionately impact women and can greatly improve their experience with programs.
Want to learn more about AIR® Mobile and how it could support outcomes for women in your programs? Get in touch today.