Beyond Violence: A Prevention Program for Criminal Justice-Involved Women

“Incarcerated women face tremendous obstacles in their quest for justice, health and healing. Beyond Violence offers a concrete tool that could be used to equip service providers who are committed to join them in their quest. The curriculum reflects a solid understanding that women who use violence have often been victimized themselves and builds on strengths rather than furthering pathology. It is a user-friendly intervention tool that promises to make a difference in women's lives. Covington has made a critically important contribution that will benefit one of the most disadvantaged groups in our society.”

Beth Richie
Professor, African American Studies and Director of IRRPP
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)

“A pioneer in trauma-informed and gender-responsive treatment for prisoners, Covington has once again brought to the field an immensely important, timely and useful resource. Beyond Violence offers an approach to working with imprisoned women that is an approachable and adaptable resource. Beyond Violence offers the opportunity for imprisoned women to understand their trauma, relate their experience to their justice system involvement and begin a journey toward recovery. As always, Covington's work is thoughtful, sensitive, and well organized. It provides facilitators with tools that are understandable and useable. Her work is insightful, smart and on target.”

Martin F. Horn
Executive Director
New York State Sentencing Commission
Distinguished Lecturer
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
New York, NY

“No one is more qualified than Stephanie Covington to design this prevention program for women tangled in the criminal legal system. Her decades-long commitment to incarcerated women and girls, research on these women and girls, and practices to best assist them is unprecedented. Even knowing all of this, I am impressed with the comprehensiveness, compassion, creativity, and sensibility of the Beyond Violence curriculum and design.”

Joanne Belknap, Ph.D.
Professor and Department Chair of Sociology
University of Colorado
President-Elect, American Society of Criminology

“Dr. Covington once again breaks ground with Beyond Violence in making a significant contribution to the treatment field by addressing a critical and often-ignored segment of the women offender world: violent female offenders. Drawing on the science of transformation and what we know about the context of violence for women as offenders and as victims, this curriculum offers women a gendered path away from violence, anger and trauma and toward personal healing and prevention of future victimization.”

Barbara Owen
Professor Emerita
Department of Criminology
California State University-Fresno