Navigating the Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system is like a maze, with many ways to enter but few ways to exit.  The Benedict Center helps women navigate this difficult maze. We also work with system partners and the community to remove barriers in the maze so women can be more successful in their journey toward a safer, healthier life. 

Women bravely do this work in the face of great systemic barriers including poverty, unstable housing, little education, racial discrimination, violence against women, and the stigma of a criminal record.  The Benedict Center advocates for systems changes to reduce those barriers.

Below is a video describing the barriers women face. 

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Video from National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women

The Benedict Center provides community based programming as an alternative to incarceration and supports women coming out of jail and prison.

Here are the different points in the criminal justice system where we help women meet legal obligations and exit the maze of the criminal justice system: