Women's Opportunity Resource Center (WORC) Nassau County, New York

• NCJ Number: 152203
• Author(s): J Hawke
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 6 pages
• Grant Number(s): 92-IJ-CX-K108
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation

Annotation

The Women's Opportunity Resource Center (WORC) in Nassau County, New York, represents an alternative to jail for female offenders that combines vocational training, client advocacy, and drug treatment.

Abstract

WORC staff monitor the progress of clients and report to referring criminal justice agencies on client program status. At any given time, about 55 women participate in the program. Most women who enter the program use crack, marijuana, and heroin; only about 25 percent use alcohol only. Most program clients are black, with a median age of 23 years, and most have children. Female offenders participate in the program between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. They are involved in educational activities, individual and group counseling, and drug treatment sessions. An effort is made to ensure women have jobs after program completion, and programming emphasizes the acquisition of job skills.