Until 1985 no mechanism existed for training and networking for corrections professionals who worked specifically with female offenders. Because of the special needs of this population, many working in the field strongly believed that there needed to be a regular discourse regarding female offenders. A grassroots movement began to provide a forum for professional men and women to come together every other year and share information and concerns regarding the needs, management and treatment of female offenders.

The first conference was hosted in 1985 by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, now 20 years later, we are in the planning stages for the 11th conference.  Until 2003, the national workshop was not sponsored or funded by a formal national association; in 2003, the Association of Programs for Female Offenders (APFO), an affiliate of the American Correctional Association, assumed co-sponsorship in order to sustain continuity. The Workshop is hosted every other year by a different state. A national steering committee is appointed by the directors of corrections and juvenile services throughout the country.

National response has been overwhelming. In 1993 juvenile female offenders were included and workshops address prisons, community corrections, jails/detention and leadership issues in the management of adult and juvenile female offenders. The conference now attracts approximately 500 individuals nationally.

The workshop tracks for 2005 are based on the six guiding principles for a gender-responsive criminal justice system from the National Institute of Corrections July 2003 Report:  "Gender-Responsive Strategies:  Research, Practice, and Guiding Principles for Women Offenders" by Bloom, Owen and Covington.

AJFO's sister conference, "Women Working In Corrections and Juvenile Justice", is held in the intervening years.

About the Conference and  Materials

Conference Schedule - pdf format 

Sponsorship Registration Form - pdf format

Conference History 

Related Links

Child Welfare League of America

Justice by Gender:  The Lack of Appropriate Prevention, Diversion and Treatment Alternatives for Girls in the Justice System

Gender-Responsive Strategies: Research, Practice, and Guiding Principles for Women Offenders