WHO WE ARE
The Women and Criminal Justice Network promotes public policy reforms, alternatives to incarceration, and gender responsive programming to address the needs of incarcerated women and their children in California.  We provide opportunities for women on the ‘outside’ to be in conversation with women on the ‘inside.’  Our policy priorities are informed by the experiences with incarcerated women.  We are currently focusing our efforts on affecting change and instituting programs at the California Institution for Women (CIW) located in Corona due to its proximity to Los Angeles.  This relationship will create a service model that can be replicated throughout the country.

OUR STRATEGY
Our key strategy is to provide groups and individuals with “cross-over” experiences to break down stereotypes and give people a first-hand understanding of the brokenness of the criminal justice system and its negative effects on women and children.  Our Experience→ Reflection→ Action model relies on the initiative and resources of local groups and individual who are mobilized as a result of a personal experience.  The initial experience is then followed up by reflection and ideally results in a commitment to action.  We throw the net wide, intentionally and continually inviting new partners to participate in a movement toward systemic change.  The Network plays an important role as a facilitator, animator, and connector of people.  This role is made possible because we have earned the respect of all sides:  Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, local communities, women in prison, and families affected by incarceration.

CROSSOVER CRITERIA
Each experience MUST:

• Animate the connection between the community and women in prison
• Increase awareness of an publicity around the gender-responsive agenda
• Impact recidivism
• Originate a next step generated from the voices of the women inside
• Increase communication with decision makers—External: State Commission on GRP, Women’s Legislative Caucus, CDCR.  Internal: Citizens Advisory Council at CIW, Prisoners Advisory Council, Claremont W+CJ chapter, YANG, etc.
• Have a Next Step commitment which follows the Experience→ Reflection→ Action
• Establish a database of new partners
• Encourage partner organizations and/or committees to evolve from relationships formed through contact or publicity form each project.

DETERMINING THE ‘NEXT STEP’
Needs are constantly evolving due to changes in the correctional justice system at the state and local level. WE remain abreast of state-wide needs through our seat on the Gender Responsive Strategies Commission.  We assess the pulse of local needs by sponsoring crossovers. We take our direction from the women on the inside and do not assume to know the needs or solutions without listening to  the women we serve.  

SYSTEMIC CHANGE
In addition to Crossover events, Women and Criminal Justice NETWORK undertakes the following activities to bring about systemic change:

• Advocacy—We actively advocate for incarcerated women and their children by approaching legislators and corrections systems official with the needs that have been identified by incarcerated women themselves.  We have formed relationships with the Wardens of the women’s prisons, with the administrators of the correctional system itself, and with State Senator Gloria Romero who chairs the committee responsible for oversight of the corrections system.
  
  
• Education and Outreach—Women and Criminal Justice NETWORK members are all encouraged to take information and action items back to their local communities to educate their neighbors, friends, peers and colleagues.  This can mean a church community, a college campus, a prison, family and friends, or the broader community through media coverage.  Our Conversation Circle events (referred to as Crossovers) bring people into the prison to talk with incarcerated women in order to educate them about the injustices of the system and the need for action to legislate change.
  
  
• Building Alliances—We have found that the most effective work that we do involves creating partnerships between organizations and individuals.  Through our relationship with colleges, we have large free meetings places for our delegations t and access to multitudes of young adults who are the future of our movement.  By working together with other agencies, we can support and inform the creation of new direct service programs that benefit our service population.  By serving as a bridge connecting individuals and agencies, we simply get things done. 
  
  
• Media Engagement—The Network has received local and national coverage for its CIW events, including a piece on NPR.  Media opportunities provide a critical opportunity for the public to become educated on the injustices of the system and the need for gender-responsive programming.