Gender Matters in Community Supervision: An In-Depth Look At The Women's Risk Need Assessment (WRNA)

SESSION INFO

Monday, August 29, 2022
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Session Type: Workshop

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is committed to promoting evidence-based, gender-responsive correctional policies and practices. In that vein, NIC is partnering with the Utah Criminal Justice Center to deliver training on the Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA), which is one of the only validated, peer-reviewed risk/need/strength assessment instruments specifically designed to predict women’s justice-involvement. This workshop will discuss the development of the WRNA and the ways in which it assists community corrections agencies to improve outcomes for women; highlight the various gender-neutral and gender-responsive scales incorporated within the tool; identify research efforts investigating the utility of the instrument in various settings (i.e., mental health courts, probation/parole supervision, non-profit service delivery); and emphasize the challenges that emerge before, during, and after adoption. Learning opportunities will be provided to discuss how to begin pursuing gender-responsive supervision and treatment strategies, as well as how to sustain the efforts long-term.

SESSION PRESENTERS

Dr. Emily J Salisbury
Director and Associate Professor,


Emily Salisbury, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Utah Criminal Justice Center (UCJC) at the University of Utah College of Social Work. She is trained as an applied criminologist and focuses her research on the science of correctional treatment interventions, particularly among system-involved women. Dr. Salisbury is also a co-creator of the Women’s Risk Needs Assessment (WRNA) instruments that were developed through a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Corrections. UCJC is now the central training and technical assistance hub for the WRNA. Jessica Seawright, MSW, is a Senior Research Analyst with the Utah Criminal Justice Center. She earned her MSW from the University of Utah, and has 8 years of experience conducting research, providing technical assistance, and developing trainings for practitioners serving justice-involved individuals. She has worked collaboratively to develop online training courses with researchers, community stakeholders, and instructional design teams that guide evidence-based practices for adults and juveniles who are mandated to treatment.


Jessica Seawright, MSW
Senior Research Analyst, Utah Criminal Justice Center


Jessica Seawright, MSW, is a Senior Research Analyst with the Utah Criminal Justice Center at the University of Utah, College of Social Work. She earned her MSW from the University of Utah, and has 8 years of experience conducting research, providing technical assistance, and developing trainings for practitioners serving justice-involved individuals. She has worked collaboratively to develop online training courses with researchers, community stakeholders, and instructional design teams that guide evidence-based practices for adults and juveniles who are mandated to treatment.