It is a result of this type of reasoning that many women, whose needs clearly lie elsewhere, end up in a prison system that does nothing more than perpetuate their already disadvantaged position. Although prison is perceived as the institution in which women can be reformed, the process of such reformation is generally counterproductive, resulting in more women finding it necessary to reoffend. On release from prison, women who were already living on the margins of society find themselves faced with the additional problems of poverty, homelessness and unemployment, while having few employment skills. A recent study found that more than half of the women surveyed had co-existing mental health and substance abuse problems.¹⁹ For such women, post-release support is particularly important for adequate reintegration into society.

Finding suitable housing is often a primary concern, particularly for women who need to change location to escape a certain lifestyle, possibly involving pimps and drug dealers. However, affordable housing is beyond many women's reach and homeless offenders not only have a much higher reconviction rate but homelessness itself is often used as a justification for imposing a custodial sentence.²⁰ Women who do have homes often live in poverty. It is estimated that the typical young single- parent renter pays 81 % of her income on housing.²¹ Of female-headed families with children, two-thirds are renters and they are more than three times as likely to be below the poverty line than other renter families with children.²² As 79% of women in prison have one or more children and are the sole supporters of their families,²³ they are likely to be among this category of the poor.

Many women also have difficulty gaining employment. This is due not only to a general unwillingness to employ women with a criminal record and a history of institutionalization, but also because of the low educational levels of the women themselves. Seventy-six per cent of female offenders in state correctional facilities do not have a high school diploma.²⁴ It has been estimated that by the turn of the century, only 14% of all jobs will be suitable for people with less than a high school education.²⁵

Many women also have limited job experience, most of which has been concentrated in the unskilled, minimum wage sector. Prior to incarceration, sixty-three per cent of women earned, as their highest hourly wage, between $3.35 and $6.50 (U.S.) per hour.²⁶ On release from prison, they may have difficulty obtaining jobs paying even these wages. If the strains of living a life of poverty become too much, crime may be see as the only solution. Crime is not perceived as a voluntary choice, but a necessary evil when the alternative for these women is being unable to feed, clothe and house themselves and their children.²⁷

The prison system's aim in attempting to reform such women is therefore clearly misdirected. The traditional view that women should be in the home fulfilling the roles of homemakers and child-rearers results in a situation where the training given to women prisoners sharply diverges from their needs in reality. Inside prison, women are subjected to extensive attempts to feminize them so that they will return to society displaying "correct" female behavior. They are encouraged to be "normal" which entails losing weight, being feminine and being heterosexual. In terms of appearance, they are encouraged to grow their hair, use make-up, and wear feminine clothing such as dresses, skirts and bras.²⁸ In terms of education, the emphasis continues to be placed on traditional "women's subjects" with vocational training focused primarily on cosmetology, food services, secretarial or office training.²⁹ Traditionally, the only job opportunities available for women inside prisons have been kitchen work, cleaning, and minor clerical work.