Women's Prison Association facts for kids

The Women's Prison Association (WPA) started in 1845. It is the oldest group in the United States that helps women. This group has mostly worked on issues in New York City and New York State. Since 2004, they also have a special part called the Institute on Women & Criminal Justice. This institute helps people across the country talk about women and the justice system.

When the WPA first started, many of the women they helped were poor immigrants from Ireland. Over time, the backgrounds of the women changed. But the WPA has always worked to help women dealing with poverty.

How the WPA Started

The WPA began from another group called the Prison Association of New York. A man named Isaac T. Hopper started that group. He was also a Quaker who worked to end slavery.

A team was formed to look into how women were treated in prisons in New York. In January 1845, this team became the Female Department of the Prison Association. Important members included Hopper's daughter, Abigail Hopper Gibbons, and a writer named Catharine Sedgwick.

Right from the start, the Female Department said that prisons in New York City were not good enough. They said that women who had nowhere to go needed a safe place. They needed doors that led to a better life, not more trouble.

Hopper Home: A New Start

By the summer of 1845, the Female Department opened Hopper Home. This was like a halfway house today. It helped women who had been in prison or were homeless. The home taught them new skills and helped them get back on their feet.

The first Hopper Home was on Fourth Street in Manhattan. Later, it moved to 191 Tenth Avenue. In 1874, it moved to its current building at 110 Second Avenue.

In 1853, the Female Department became its own group. It was officially named the Women's Prison Association by New York State. Abigail Gibbons became its leader. The WPA became more powerful.

They fought against problems like crowded jails, which are still issues today. But the WPA's efforts helped change rules and programs. For example, women who worked as guards were hired in all state prisons that held women. Also, a separate place for women and girls to get help was built in Bedford, New York. And a rule was made that only female guards could search women prisoners.

After more than 100 years, the WPA got its first money from the government in the 1960s. This money came from the federal government. In the 1980s, Hopper Home helped women get jobs while still in the justice system. This program ended in 1990.

What the WPA Does Today

In the 1990s, more and more women were going to prison. Because of this, the WPA started to offer more kinds of help. Hopper Home was updated in 1992. It became a place where women could live and get help instead of going to prison. This is called an "alternative to incarceration" (ATI) program.

In 1993, the WPA opened the Sarah Powell Huntington House (SPHH). This is a temporary home for women who were homeless and involved with the justice system. It helps them get back with their children.

Health and Support Programs

During this time, the WPA also started programs for women in the New York justice system who had special health needs. Many women in this situation need extra health support. WPA programs teach women about their health. They also help women plan for when they leave prison. This includes ongoing care after they are released.

The WPA helps women in prisons like Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women and Taconic Correctional Facility. They train other women in prison to help and support each other with health education.

Because these health programs worked well, the WPA started to offer similar help to all women leaving prison. Their first program like this began at Rikers Island in 2000. Since 2001, the WPA has run a program called WomenCare. This program gives mentors to women leaving New York jails and prisons.

Other WPA Projects

The WPA has other important projects. One is the Incarcerated Mother's Law Project (IMLP). It started in 1994. This project helps mothers in prison with visits from their children. It also helps them with family court issues. The IMLP began in New York state prisons. Now it also helps women in New York City jails and those using WPA's community services.

Helping Families in Communities

A lot of people in New York's prisons come from just a few neighborhoods in New York City. Since the late 1990s, the WPA has focused on one of these areas: East New York in Brooklyn.

In 1999, the WPA opened its Brooklyn Community Office (BCO). This office helps with problems like poverty, bad housing, health issues, and child neglect. The goal is to help families stay together. They hope to stop the cycle of child neglect. This program works with other groups. In 2005, it expanded to help people in nearby neighborhoods like Bushwick and Brownsville.

Besides its local work, the WPA also started the Institute on Women & Criminal Justice in 2004. This institute helps create a national discussion about women and the justice system. It looks at how this affects families and communities across the country.