Assert Yourself for Female Offenders — What It Is (and the BOP locations where it’s listed, including SPC Marianna)

Assert Yourself for Female Offenders teaches interpersonal communication and pro-social assertiveness. Participants practice skills through homework and group interaction with a facilitator. The program also addresses self-esteem - practical stuff like setting boundaries, communicating clearly, and handling conflict without things escalating. In the BOP's First Step Act guide, approved programs fall into two categories: Evidence-Based Recidivism Reduction (EBRR) programs and Productive Activities (PAs). Assert Yourself is listed in the EBRR section.

Assert Yourself for Female Offenders provides 8 hours of Evidence-Based Recidivism Reduction (EBRR) program credit. That EBRR label matters. The BOP's FSA guide separates approved options into EBRR programs and Productive Activities (PAs) - and Assert Yourself falls in the EBRR category, which is where those 8 credit hours come from.

Who Delivers

• ✓ Social Worker
• ✓ Special Populations Program Coordinator
• ✓ Unit Team Staff

The BOP's FSA Approved Programs Guide lists Assert Yourself for Female Offenders at multiple locations. SPC Marianna is one of them. If your family is connected to Marianna, here's the key takeaway: the facility is explicitly named in the national guide. That makes it reasonable to ask staff whether the program is currently being scheduled - and how to get enrolled.

1. Use the exact program name when you ask - Request “Assert Yourself for Female Offenders” by name and confirm it’s the version that awards 8 hours of EBRR program credit.
2. Confirm the facility named in the guide - The national guide lists the program at SPC Marianna, so ask directly whether it’s currently running there and whether there’s an active schedule.
3. Ask who is delivering it - For fidelity and proper credit, the guide says the program should be delivered by a Social Worker, Special Populations Program Coordinator, or Unit Team Staff.
4. Get the practical details your loved one needs to enroll - Ask how participants are selected, when groups are held, and whether there’s a waitlist.
5. Ask how completion is recorded - Since proper credit is tied to approved delivery, request confirmation that completion will be documented as EBRR credit for the participant.