Family-Centered Support for Women Prisoners to Reduce Recidivism Risk: The ‘Strengthening Connections’ Service

For women in prison, having safe and supportive relationships is the greatest predictor of staying safely out of custodial systems, post-release. We describe the development and delivery of ‘ Strengthening Connections ’: an in-prison family therapy service in Victoria, Australia that supported women to strengthen their relationships with family and allies to reduce recidivism risk. We piloted a stepped-care model comprising three levels of service delivery to support women’s relational health: 1) group-level sessions, 2) single-session family therapy, and 3) systemic family therapy approaches involving women along with their family or allies. We developed a trauma-informed, culturally safe approach to practice, and evidence-enriched resources for use in service delivery. During the three-year service pilot, we continuously improved on the service based on clinical consultations and process evaluation findings. This article describes the development, refinement and delivery of the service with reflections on potential for broader application.