The call for papers for WICC 2025 is now closed. Late submissions will not be accepted.
The Programme Committee encourages presentations from a diverse range of individuals who can contribute to the Women in Corrections Conference (WICC) agenda, including:
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Individuals with lived experience
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Academics
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Government and public sector agencies
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NGOs and other International Agencies
Non-government organisations should consider co-presenting with public sector partners where appropriate, especially if the presentation is on a specific programme delivered in a state institution.
ICPA and TIJ invite attendees from across the corrections landscape, both women and men, to contribute to this important conference. Attendees will include correctional leaders, correctional practitioners, academics, individuals with lived experience, and members of correctional-affiliated organizations.
WICC Themes
ICPA and TIJ encourage diverse submissions across the following Women in Corrections Conference 2025 themes:
Theme I: Imprisonment and the Pathways into Prison, which includes:
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Trends in female imprisonment.
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Women's paths to prison and women’s prison experience.
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The impact of incarceration on women and their families’ well-being.
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Good practices and innovations in women’s prisons, in particular:
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Specialized programs addressing mental health challenges, trauma, victimization, and substance abuse among women in custody.
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Maintaining motherhood and family relations during incarceration.
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Architectural and environmental designs that prioritize the well-being and rehabilitation of women.
Theme II: Successful Reintegration and Alternatives to Custodial Measures, which includes:
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Trend in the use of non-custodial measures for women.
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Women’s pathways to non-custodial sentences
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Women’s experiences of re-integration and non-custodial measures
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Good practices and innovations in women's social rehabilitation and reintegration.
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Factors supporting women’s successful reintegration.
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Specialized programs designed to reduce imprisonment amongst corrections-involved women.
Theme III: From Policy to Practice, which includes:
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Gender-responsive policies, legislation, and legal frameworks that can better support corrections for women.
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Promising practices and challenges in the application of the Bangkok Rules in correctional work.
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The role of technology, research, and data-driven strategies in advancing gender-responsive penal systems.
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The role of women affected by the criminal justice system in policy advocacy and reform efforts.
Theme IV: Women Working in Corrections, which includes:
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Strengthening women’s leadership in corrections.
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Approaches to attracting and supporting women working in corrections, especially those that aim to support women in operational roles.
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Capacity building and supporting correctional staff, partners, and volunteers working with corrections-involved women.
Theme V: Cohort-Specific Response, which includes:
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Developing informed policy and practice for specific groups of corrections-involved women, including women living with disabilities, elderly women, first nations women, foreign national women, trans-women, breastfeeding mothers, children residing in prison with their mothers, and other marginalized groups.
Submission Summary
Submissions can be presentations, suggestions for workshops, or panel discussions and will be selected based on their quality and relevance to the themes. The Committee will strive to have only one presentation per person/organization and to maximize the regional spread of speakers’ origin.
Presentations should meet the following criteria:
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Abstracts must align with at least one of the conference themes.
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Abstracts must include at least three questions for discussions.
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Any references to research or outcomes must include sources.
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All presentations will be non-commercial/non-product focused.