Women are Homeless, Too

Women are homeless, too.  This may seem obvious, but it bears stating.  When we think of the homeless population, we often think of men.  But according to the 2009 Point in Time Count (a full report on the 2010 count is not out yet, only a short factsheet), women made up 28 percent of single, homeless adults, that’s 670 homeless women statewide.  However, women made up 90 percent of homeless adults in families, 381 statewide.[1] In our area of Connecticut, the Norwich – New London area, these percentages actually increase: There were 44 single women, that is 33 percent of the single adult population, and 50 adult women in families, 96 percent of homeless adults in families—A staggering number! (Ibid, 179)  This number is projected to go u: according to a short brief issued by the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness: “Young, single female women of color were overrepresented among families receiving shelter and assistance services.”[2]

Another obvious statement is that women have different needs and problems than men.  This is especially true for homeless women.  According to a recent CNN interview, Roseanna Means, founder of Women of Means, a not for profit which serves the medical needs of homeless women in Boston area shelters, “there are so many things that women have to deal with more so than men do—reproductive years, and then mammograms, then menopause. A lot of women's health is preventive care, and if women lose out on those screening tests, their lives are in danger.”[3]

These are two important points that, though seemingly obvious, have not been taken into account by policy makers.  As noted in a previous post there is a serious disparity between services for homeless women veterans and men.  Indeed, according to the 2009 CHALENG report: “Although only four percent of all homeless Veterans treated in VA’s specialized homeless services are women, this proportion will likely increase as currently 15 percent of all US troops are women.”[4]

What are some problems homeless women face?  There are many.  A report issued by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, The Women's and Children's Health Policy Center in 2000 sums up the health issues faced by women well: Chronic disease, infectious disease, STDs/HIV/AIDS,  stress, smoking, nutrition, violence, substance abuse, and mental health/depression were all listed as problems women face as compared to men.[5]  First, it must be noted that homeless, drug-abusing women were 2.35 times likely to have HIV/AIDS than homeless, drug-abusing men. (Ibid. 4)  Reasons for this are unclear, though drug use and sexual violence may play a role in the higher rate.

Nutrition is a big concern; a woman’s diet requires different vitamins than men.  Ass of 2000 we note:

• “Currently and formerly homeless clients are more likely to report not getting enough to eat (28% and 25%) than among all U.S. households (4%) and among poor households (12%).
• “Contrary to their opinion, homeless women and their dependents were consuming less than 50% of the 1989 RDA for iron, magnesium, zinc, folic acid, and calcium.
• “Subjects of all ages were consuming higher than desirable quantities of fats.
• “The health risk factors of iron deficiency anemia, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia were prevalent” (Ibid, 4)

Further, violence played a big role in women homelessness.  The same report stated that:

• “Poor women are at higher risk for violence than women overall; poverty increases stress and lowers the ability to cope with the environment and live safely.
• “In a study of 436 sheltered homeless and poor housed women: 84% of these women (average age = 27) had been severely assaulted at some point in their lives; 63% had been severely assaulted by parental caretakers while growing up; 40% had been sexually molested at least once before reaching adulthood; 60% had experienced severe physical attacks by a male intimate partner; and 33% had been assaulted by their current or most recent partner.
• “Studies of homeless women reveal high lifetime rates of childhood physical and sexual abuse and of assault by intimate male partners.
• “A study of fifty-three women homeless for at least three months in the past year demonstrated that this group is at a very high risk of battery and rape, with 91% exposed to battery and 56% exposed to rape.” (Ibid, 4)

In Connecticut itself, more than half of adults with children noted being in a relationship in which they had been ‘physically hurt or felt threatened,’ and 40 percent cited domestic violence as a factor in their homelessness. (“Talking Points on Homelessness in 2011”)  This violence leads to serious mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, substance abuse issues, and more.  Unfortunately, homeless women were less likely to have been treated for these issues than housed women. (The Health of Homeless Women, 5)  

Pregnancy and family planning is also a big concern among homeless women.  First off, homeless women often lack access to contraceptives, have uncertain fertility, and, due to sexual violence, may have little or no say in when conception occurs.  Further, with mental health issues and violence comes a desire for intimacy, which can lead to unplanned pregnancy.  Added to this can be the poor nutrition and stress cited above, and low or poor quality prenatal care, all of which can lead to complications in pregnancy.  (ibid, 3)  In short, a woman may not have access to proper medical facilities, probably have nutritional problems, and may have no say in whether she becomes pregnant. 

All of these problems lead to chronic health concerns.  As noted above, many concerns faced by homeless women are preventable. (See above, note 3 above)  Unfortunately, women often go untreated for these health concerns, or remain untested and wind up in the emergency room. In fact,

Seeking attention for health care becomes a low priority for women who do not know where they or their children will sleep that night, or where they will find their next meal. In one study, after controlling for potential confounding factors, homeless mothers had more frequent emergency visits in the past year and were significantly more likely to be hospitalized in the past year compared with housed mothers. (The Health of Homeless Women, 3) 

Homeless or low-income women often lack financial stability as well.  A brief issued by the National Center on Family Homelessness in 1998 noted that the mean annual income of homeless mothers was $ 7910, 67 percent of the poverty level for a family of three in 1998.  Moreover, around half lived on $7000 a year.[6]  A reason for this is perhaps the source of income for many homeless or low income women:

75 percent of the working women in their study were employed in service and sales industries, compared with 61 percent of all women in the nation. Service occupations are mostly part-time and offer lower earnings, little advancement, limited benefits, and are of short duration (around 1.8 years) (The Health of Homeless Women, 2)

Women face serious problems, many of which are not experienced by men.  There is some assistance around here.  The Women’s Center of South Eastern Connecticut offers services geared toward single women and women with children.  The Covenant Shelter offers a safe, albeit temporary, atmosphere for families to live in.  And the newest program in the New London area is Homeless Women Deserve Treatment project, offered through Bethsaida Community inc in conjunction with other local agencies such as the New London Homeless Hospitality Center where I work and volunteer.  However, these are not enough.  As Amanda Brycki, outpatient coordinator for United Community and Family Services stated in an interview with The Day, “there are limited amounts of resources for these women."[7]  Homeless women need help too.

---

[1] Connecticut Counts 2009 Point-In-Time Homeless Count Final Report, Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (Aug, 2009): 6. www.cceh.org/pdf/count/2009_pit_report.pdf, accessed April 18, 2011

[2] “Talking Points on Homelessness in 2011,” Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (February 2011).  www.cceh.org/pdf/advocacy/tp_homelessness_2011.pdf, accessed April 18, 2011

[3] Danielle Berger, interviewer, “Homeless women face more obstacles,” CNN Heroes (January 24, 2011). www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/01/24/cnnheroes.means.homeless.women/index.html, accessed April 18, 2011

[4] “The Sixteenth Annual Progress Report: Community Homeless Assessment, Local education and Networking Group (CHALENG) for Veterans (FY 2009)” Services for Homeless Assessment and Coordination (Mar. 17, 2010): 35: www1.va.gov/HOMELESS/docs/chaleng/chaleng_sixteenth_annual_report.pdf, Accessed November 11, 2010.

[5] Gillian Silver and Rea Pañares, The Health of Homeless Women: Information for State Maternal and Child Health Programs, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, The Women's and Children's Health Policy Center Research brief (2000): 4. http://www.jhsph.edu/bin/g/m/homeless.PDF, accessed April 18, 2011.

[6] “Research on Homelessness and Low-Income Housed Families” The National Center on Family Homelessness, brief (1998): 2.  http://www.councilofcollaboratives.org/files/fact_research.pdf, accessed April 18, 2011.

[7] Clair Bessette, “Program for homeless women wins five-year federal grant,” The Day, New London, CT (February 23, 2011).  http://www.theday.com/article/20110223/NWS01/302239947/1044 accessed April 18, 2011

Recidivism

A recent report released by the Connecticut Department of Correction gave some startling statistics on recidivism in the state of Connecticut.  It read, “Within two years of their release or discharge: 56% of offenders released or discharge in 2008 were rearrested, 47% were returned to prison, 39% were convicted on new charges, and 27% began a new prison sentence.” (2011 Annual, Recidivism Report, State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division (February 15, 2011): 5)  What is even more startling is that recidivism rates are actually down in the state of Connecticut, compared to the previous rate, according to the CT Department of Corrections: “The return to prison rate declined from 2005 to 2008 from 49.2 percent to 47.4 percent.  The return to prison with a new sentence rate was reduced from 27.7 percent to 27 percent.” (Recidivism, State of Connecticut Department of Corrections, modified March 4,2011, accessed April 9, 2011)

Recidivism is defined as “a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior; especially: relapse into criminal behavior,” according to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary (Accessed April 9, 2011).  Put simply, recidivism is a return to prison.  Measures for recidivism, according to the Department of Correction’s Office of Policy and Management, are, “1) new arrests 2) new convictions 3) any incidence of re-incarceration, and 4) returns to prison with a new sentence.” (Research, Analysis & Evaluation: Annual Connecticut Recidivism Study, modified February 16, 2011, accessed April 9, 2011)

Recidivism is an expensive problem.  “Nationally, corrections expenditures have gone from $9 billion in 1982 to $60 billion in 2002,” a 666 percent increase in spending. (“Executive Summary,” Report of the Re-entry Policy Council: Charting the Safe and Successful Return of Prisoners to the Community. Council of State Governments, Reentry Policy Council, New York: Council of State Governments. January 2005: 1) This is a significant drag on our resources.  What’s more, outside of healthcare, state spending on prisons has increased faster than any other form of spending! (Ibid, 1)  

There are many causes for this “relapse,” from technical problems with parole to social problems such as excessive drug or alcohol use.  For instance, from 2005 to 2008, reentry of parolees into prison for technical violations of parole increased from 19 to 22 percent of parolees. (cf. Recidivism above.)  These are people returning to prison for breaking simple rules and conditions of their release.  Men tended to return to prison more often, with 49 percent of males verses 36 percent of females returning to prison within two years.  Further, age is a factor: “70% of male offenders under the age of 23 were rearrested.  Among males over the age of 43, 46% were rearrested.” (Research, Analysis & Evaluation)

There are many social factors that can lead to recidivism.  One important aspect is education.  A study produced by US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics showed that between 1991 and 1997:

About 77% who did not complete high school or a GED, 81% with a GED, 71% who finished high school, and 66% with some college were recidivists. Less educated inmates were more likely than those with more education to have been sentenced as a juvenile. Approximately 40% without a high school diploma, 45% with a GED, 26% with a high school diploma, and 21% with some college had prior sentences as a juvenile either to a facility or probation. About 1 in 5 without a high school diploma or with a GED and 1 in 10 with a diploma or some college had been incarcerated as a juvenile.  (C. W. Harlow, Education and Correctional Populations, Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, NCJ 195670, 2003: 10-11)

These findings show that lack of education is a key factor in returning to prison as well as incarceration as a youth.  This may help explain why age is a factor in recidivism. 

Another social factor is substance abuse:   A 2004 study showe a direct link to substance abuse treatment programs and recidivism rates.  It noted that, 80 percent of the incarcerated nationally, 83 percent in Connecticut, have a serious substance abuse problem, of which only 15 percent receive treatment and that treatment programs only make up 5 percent of state prison budget. (Prabhu Ponkshe, “Drug Abuse Treatment for Connecticut Inmates Reduces Rearrest Rates,” Substance Abuse Policy Research Program, January 2005: 2)  Drug use can be directly linked to the rising costs of prisons, as the U.S. prison population has grown by over 200 percent between 1982 and 1996.  This is related to increased enforcement and mandatory sentencing of drug related offenses. (Ibid, 2)  Further, as of 2005 (when this study was published) “Almost 46% of Connecticut’s prison population gets rearrested within the first year after release, but that figure drops to 37.4% for inmates who receive basic treatment and 23.5% for those who receive intensive substance abuse treatment,” a significant indication that recidivism is related to substance abuse. (Ibid, 1)

Debt accrued while in prison has a possible effect on recidivism in the United States. According to another study,

Incarcerated people accumulate debt layer by layer. Support for children, restitution for the victim, punishment for crime, recovered costs for the taxpayer—taken alone, each charge may have a legitimate public policy rationale. However, the current practice of piling on multiple debts can create an untenable situation for parents released from prison and has the unintended consequences of pushing people into the underground economy and back to a life of crime. (Kristen Livingston and Vicki Turetsky  “Debtors’ Prison—Prisoners’ Accumulation of Debt as a Barrier to Reentry,” Clearinghouse REVIEW Journal of Poverty Law and Policy (July-August, 2007): 188)

Indeed, nationally fines are assessed on around 25 percent of all prison inmates, with additional costs such as child support payments and fees, including court fees, imposed on the incarcerated to reduce taxpayer costs.  (Ibid 188-191)  The result is a great chasm between the income of and what is owed by those attempting to re-enter society. 

Unemployment and underemployment is a significant problem the incarcerated will face upon leaving prison.  A criminal record can mean a lifetime of poverty.  “According to a 1997 survey of state prisoners conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice…almost half reported incomes of less than $1,000 in the month before arrest, and two-fifths were either unemployed or working only part-time before their arrest.” (Ibid 187-188)  A study of former prisoner inmates in Virginia noted that only 65 percent of the population were considered employed, that is, having earned one dollar or higher during the period surveyed, with average yearly income of employed former offenders being $7,670.17.  (Michael E. Morrissey, A Description of the Employment Patterns of Persons Released from Virginia’s Correctional Institution between July 1, 1998 and June 30, 2002, Ph.D. Dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2004): 86) That’s around $640 a month, a sizable decrease brought on by a felony conviction and incarceration.  In addition to low income, the study noted that 46 percent of employed former offenders had four or more employers in the four year study, showing unstable employment.  (Ibid 87)

Finally, my own experience is that a prisoner who ends up in the shelter was released without any vital records, only a prison ID:  No birth certificate, no social security card, no state ID.  Note that one of these is often required to receive the other two.  This means that a prisoner is not able to participate in society, to get a job, to even stand a chance of successful re-entry.

I witness these problems almost daily at the shelter I work.  A mistake in life that leads to prison can also lead to a lifetime of poverty and crime.  This last week, a man I know, a very good man who is working very hard to turn his life around, to turn from drugs and alcohol, to re-enter society as an upright member of his community, checked himself back into treatment.  He did not succumb to his former addiction, but the environment of the shelter, coupled with month after month of rejection in his job hunt were proving too much for him.  He was able to catch himself before he relapsed into drugs and, perhaps, into our prison system.  But I do not believe he should have been brought to that point.

We as a society stigmatize incarceration without offering an alternative upon release.  This is a problem that affects our whole society, not just the former offenders.  If someone returns to prison, unless it was a technical violation of parole, there was a victim of a crime.  Without spending our time and money on this problem, engaging the incarcerated before, during, and after release from prison, we hurt our society and victimize both ourselves as well as the inmate, who stood a very slim chance of re-entry into society.  We hurt the very fabric of this country.  Note again that imprisonment has gone up 200 percent, cost of imprisonment 666 percent.  This is a problem we cannot afford to ignore.