On what it means to be free: Radio as a tool of desistance for formerly incarcerated women in Adelaide, Australia

Abstract

Women and girls make up only a small percentage of the overall prison population; however, there has been a significant increase in their representation, most notably over the past twenty years. Despite this, fundamental understandings of the role of prisons, as well as issues around recidivism and desistance are based on a male norm, failing to meet the needs of women affected by the criminal justice system. This article outlines the findings from an ongoing grassroots action research project conducted with a support group for women of lived prison experience, based in Adelaide, South Australia, to investigate radio production as a means for supporting women in their transition to life outside of prison. It draws on observations made over a two-year period of radio production and thematic content analysis to investigate the role of community radio as a tool of desistance for formerly incarcerated women.