About Us

The Women's Prison Association (WPA) is a service and advocacy organization committed to helping women with criminal justice histories realize new possibilities for themselves and their families. Our program services make it possible for women to obtain work, housing, and health care; to rebuild their families; and to participate fully in civic life. Through the Institute on Women & Criminal Justice, WPA pursues a rigorous policy, advocacy, and research agenda to bring new perspectives to public debates on women and criminal justice.

WPA seeks to promote effective responses to crime that enhance public safety and reduce over-reliance on incarceration, to bring new perspectives to public debates on women and criminal justice, and to effect systemic change among government agencies whose policies directly impact the lives of the women and families we serve.