Citation

Fedock G. Women Crim. Justice 2018; 28(1): 63-80.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/08974454.2017.1294131

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The number of incarcerated women serving a life sentence is growing. This subpopulation rarely receives programming in prison or even inclusion in intervention studies' samples. According to importation theory, characteristics of prisoners' pre-prison experiences guide the types of interventions provided to prisoners. This study examined the importation factors for a sample of women serving life sentences and used thematic analysis to understand these factors. The primary theme was the dominance of trauma in women's pre-prison lives with four connected sub-themes that highlight treatment needs pre-and during prison. One implication of this study is improving prison policies to include this subpopulation in treatment opportunities.

Language: en

Keywords

Life-sentence; mental health; pre-incarceration trauma; substance abuse; treatment; women prisoners