WOCMM

Women Offender Case Management Model (WOCMM) is a gender-responsive case management model. The model aims to reduce re-offending among criminal justice system involved women and to increase the health and well being of the women and their families.

WOCMM provides a variety of strategies to help women offenders be successful in the community. The targets and essential components of the WOCMM evolved from field experience and a review of the existing research. The model represents a very concerted effort to provide the combination of supervision style, resources, and interventions that are necessary to help women offenders make the gains they need to be successful. WOCMM is premised on the assumption that case management should be a dynamic, seamless process that commences at the time of sentencing and continues beyond discharge from prison and/or community supervision until the woman is stabilized in her community. In order to be successful the process must be dynamic and collaborative.

This philosophy is embodied in eight principles that help guide the model and are reflected in the training that helps jurisdictions implement WOCMM:

• Principle #1: WOCMM is a gender-responsive approach developed exclusively for women offenders.
• Principle #2: WOCMM is a dynamic process.
• Principle #3: WOCMM requires the active and collaborative involvement of women.
• Principle #4: WOCMM is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team that recognizes the importance of open communication and the ongoing transfer of information, knowledge, and skills that can be shared with all members of the team.
• Principle #5: WOCMM promotes the development, implementation, and monitoring of individualized service plans.
• Principle #6: WOCMM provides a range of services and opportunities.
• Principle #7: WOCMM was designed to help women mobilize existing strengths and resources.
• Principle #8: WOCMM was designed to monitor progress and report outcomes.

The WOCMM strategy involves intensive training and community mobilization work intended to bring together an optimum mix of intervention and support for women offenders in the community. While training of community supervision officers in the styles and interventions necessary to impact positively on justice involved women is a major component, the implementation of WOCMM also involves organization developmental, community organization and advocacy for services that focus on women.

Women Offender Case Management Model (WOCMM) aims to reduce re-offending among criminal justice system involved women and to increase the health and well being of the women and their families.