Female Prisoners Research Articles

‘Connection Rather Than Output’: Reflections on the Role of Art Workshops in Qualitative Research With Women in Prison

This paper offers a reflective account of delivering art workshops in women’s prisons in England, as one method in a larger, qualitative study around the role of food in prisons. We present reflections around the role of art workshops in building relationships and community between the researcher and the participants, and the participants themselves. We found that building connection through art workshops, in a hostile and challenging environment like prison, enabled us to gather richer and deeper data during the qualitive interviews that succeeded the art workshops. We propose that attention from researchers to the ‘unintended consequences’ can contribute to research projects which are impactful for both the participants and researchers. This paper addresses gaps in literature around the use of visual art as method in women’s prisons and the role of arts-based methods in larger qualitative research projects in secure settings.

Влияние религиозных организаций на процесс исправления осужденных женщин в местах лишения свободы

Religious organizations are of no small importance in the process of reform of convicted women in prisons. These women often, due to forced isolation and psychophysiological characteristics, display negative emotions and also demonstrate aggressive behavior. However, participating in religious education activities weakens negative traits and strengthens their cultural and moral qualities. The author concludes that religious organizations are an independent subject of crime prevention by convicted women based on the legal framework and educational and scientific literature. Additionally, representatives of religious organizations play a positive role in decreasing psycho-emotional stress and interpersonal conflicts, increasing the level of spiritual and moral development, and fostering a sense of responsibility in convicted women towards their family, friends, and society. The activities of representatives of religious organizations help in shaping the law-abiding life of a woman after the discharge and her further resocialization.

Psychological Violence Against Women: Experiences of Women Imprisoned For Murder In Uganda

Majority of women in prison report a history of multiple forms of violence. Much as there is considerable research on the history of violence amongst women imprisoned for murder, no research has so far been conducted in Uganda and, elsewhere, most of the studies have paid attention to physical and sexual violence. To fill this gap, I carried out a study to investigate the experience of psychological violence in the life history of women convicted of murder in Uganda. Drawing from a purposive sample of 30 women, this paper includes data from interviews with 20 women who experienced psychological violence at different stages of their lives. The study employed the qualitative tradition of phenomenology. Data were collected using face- face-to-face in-depth interviews and analysed using NVivo 12 software. Interviews with women revealed that they were subjected to psychological violence during different stages of their lives which included; during childhood, in intimate relations and during arrests and trials. Psychological violence was manifested in different ways that included among others; women being scared, insulted, yelled at and called all sorts of bad names. Perpetrators were reported to be family members, police officers, lawyers and judges.

Antimicrobial surveillance in South Australian prisons: a pilot study.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the feasibility of capturing antimicrobial usage data from prisons for inclusion in the Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia (AURA) surveillance system and to analyse 2021 and 2022 South Australian (SA) usage data for notable trends.MethodsMonthly antimicrobial supply data for eight SA prisons were collected. Antimicrobial volume was converted into the World Health Organization metric, defined daily doses (DDD). Usage rates were calculated relative to prison occupied bed days (OBD).ResultsAnnual usage of systemic antimicrobials across eight SA prisons totalled 26,448 DDD and 23,526 DDD in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Antibacterials accounted for 80.6% of all antimicrobials dispensed during the study period. The average antibacterial usage rate in female prisons was higher on average than in male prisons. The state-wide systemic antibacterial usage rate in SA prisons declined by 11.3% from 23.8 DDDs/1000 OBD in 2021 to 21.1 DDDs/1000 OBD. Doxycycline, amoxicillin, flucloxacillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, and cefalexin accounted for 72% of the total systemic antibacterial usage rate. Variation in the oral and topical antifungal agents used and the rate of use was observed between prisons.ConclusionsThis SA pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of including prisons in routine national antimicrobial surveillance using similar methodology to hospital surveillance. The contributing facilities comprised 6.1% of all Australian prison beds, and extrapolation of the results suggests that the identified gap in surveillance may equate to over 400,000 DDD per annum in prisons nationwide, equating to approximately 5% of hospital inpatient antimicrobial usage.

Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Infections among Female Inmates in a Prison in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are major health concerns worldwide. Recent data indicate a decline in prevalence in the Saudi population; however, there are no data on the prevalence in prisoners. This study is the first to investigate the prevalence of viral hepatitis in female inmates in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of HBV and HCV infections and to assess the knowledge and attitudes related to these infections among inmates. Inmates were interviewed using a pre-designed questionnaire, and their blood samples were tested for HBV and HCV infections using serology, PCR, and phylogenetic analysis. The overall prevalence of HBV infection in the study population was 4.4%. The age group > 25 years was predominantly affected; 11.1% of the infected cases were Saudi nationals, and 88.9% were non-Saudis. The prevalence of HCV infection was 2.4%. Among the studied variables, age and previous employment were significantly associated with positive HBV PCR, while conviction, knowledge about protection from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), knowledge about condom use for protection against STIs, and condom use for protection against STIs were significantly associated with HCV infection. This study shows higher HBV and HCV prevalence in the female prisoners in Briman prison compared to the general population. Uneducated prisoners, over 25 years old, and convicted of prostitution are more associated with both HBV and HCV infection. Future preventive plans should include screening new prisoners with these risk factors for HBV and HCV at the time of entry.

Profile of Prisoners with Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) In Correctional Institution Level IIA Kerobokan, Badung, Bali

Background: Prisoners have a high risk of being infected with latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (LTBI). Crowded living conditions, poor ventilation, and inadequate facilities lead to a high risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) transmission in correctional institutions ( CI ). TB disease causes a decline in the health of prisoners so it affects the quality of life while serving in prison. For this reason, it is necessary to conduct research on the profile of prisoners with LTBI. The results can later be used as a consideration for improving the health status of CI. This study was conducted in July 2023 in Level IIA prison, Kerobokan, Badung, Bali with variables in the form of characteristics of prisoners with positive LTBI status. Methods: Sample collection using cluster sampling by taking all prisoners in 1 block who have active TB patients. Prisoners underwent Tuberculin Skin Tests to determine LTBI status. Results: Prisoners with LTBI were found with the following characteristics: female gender (56.67%), aged <60 years (93.3%), smoking history (70%), length of stay in prison ≥12 months (73.3%), drug users (36.67%), history of alcohol consumption (50%). Conclusion: This study provides an overview of the profile of prisoners with LTBI in level IIA Kerobokan prison, Badung, Bali. Latent TB infection was more prevalent among female prisoners with female gender, young age, active smokers, drug and alcohol consumption, and length of stay in prison more than 12 months.

The Martyrdom of Illness: Mariia Spiridonova in Siberian Imprisonment, 1906–17

Abstract: In the summer of 1906 at the age of twenty-one, Mariia Spiridonova, a Russian Socialist Revolutionary (SR) assassin was transported with five other convicted female SR terrorists by railway from Moscow to the Nerchinsk prison complex in eastern Siberia. Only Spiridonova was known as a martyr-heroine to opponents of tsarism across the empire, however, because national newspapers had published her story of physical abuse by police and Cossacks at the time of her arrest. Patterning themselves after an earlier generation of populist terrorists in the 1870s and 1880s, male and female SR terrorists in the revolution of 1905–07 attempted to kill government officials whom the SR party accused of oppressive actions against helpless civilians. Although SR terrorists expected to sacrifice their own lives as compensation for committing political murder, the tsarist government commuted the women’s death sentences to penal servitude for life. In Siberian imprisonment, Spiridonova and her five terrorist comrades followed the tradition of preceding generations of revolutionaries by joining a ‘socialist collective’ or ‘commune’ of political prisoners with a code of conduct and a shared economy. Male and female socialist prisoners lived by such compacts to prepare themselves for the future revolution and to deepen the political consciousness of their fellow inmates by personal example. Only Spiridonova among the women ‘politicals’ took no visible role in upholding the prison commune but rather lived in semi-isolation as an invalid throughout her eleven years in the Nerchinsk complex. Suffering from tuberculosis, Spiridonova, who had anticipated a martyr’s death on the scaffold, seemingly succumbed to the martyrdom of chronic illness. Yet the fall of the tsarist autocracy in February 1917 did not just liberate Spiridonova from penal servitude but simultaneously restored her health, her energy and her drive to engage in radical politics. Her pattern of revolutionary behaviour thus alternated between active and passive self-sacrifice, the tuberculosis that enhanced her legend of martyrdom apparently waxing and waning according to the degree of her personal freedom.

Women Inmates’ Experiences of Juvenile Delinquency: A Research with Phenomenological Approach

This study is aimed to examine the juvenile delinquency experiences of female prisoners who have committed a crime before the age of 18, were tried and convicted and are still in prison with a phenomenological approach. The working group consists of 10 female convicts in a Women's Closed Penitentiary Institution in Turkey who were involved in a crime when they were under the age of 18 and are still in prison due to this crime. As a data collection tool, a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher was used. Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), one of the qualitative data analysis methods, was used in the analysis of the research data. In this context, the data obtained were examined with a holistic approach, and each participant's data were interpreted separately and evaluated with similar and different aspects. The MAXQDA program was used in the analysis of the data. It was revealed that women's family and friends are effective in their juvenile delinquency and the family relations of the children and the presence of an individual with a criminal history in the family are also among the risk factors. It is determined that women between the ages of 18-25 were driven to juvenile delinquency by their friends over 18, especially when they were between the ages of 14- 16. Delinquency has been evaluated as a negative situation that is seen in children with the effect of family relations and social environment and causes social, psychological and behavioural problems in children.

Socijalno-demografske karakteristike zatvorenica u Kazneno-popravnom zavodu Požarevac

The aim of the paper is to present the data of the research that dealt with the socio-economic characteristics of women in the Požarevac Penitentiary. The text presents only certain economic theories of crime, given that there are many theoretical concepts that deal with the relationship between poverty and crime. The authors are of the opinion that economic theories of crime are an appropriate framework for this paper, given that the data from our research indicate that the respondents come from poor socio-economic living conditions, and have a low socioeconomic status. Economic theories of crime explain variations in crime rates through the variety of offerings and factors that individuals face, so their low status and the criminal acts for which they were convicted are in accordance with this general statement. The paper, based on the data collected through a questionnaire on a sample of 81 women from the Penitentiary, confirmed their status of poverty and a possible link to the commission of crimes mostly of an economic nature. We want to expand the existing knowledge about the socio-economic status of women prisoners in the Republic of Serbia. The data showed that the respondents belong to a population on the brink of poverty.

Peacemaking Circles: Contributions to the Mental Health of Women Deprived of Liberty

Abstract Background: Incarceration stands as a stark representation of human suffering, significantly impacting the lives of those confined. The specific plight of Women Deprived of Liberty within carceral settings represents an often-overlooked facet of this suffering. The complexities inherent in their experiences within carceral environments emphasize the urgent necessity to address their psychological well-being and alleviate their distress. Objective: Identify the contributions of Peacemaking Circles to the Mental Health of Women Deprived of Liberty who are serving sentences in a closed regime in a women's prison placed in the capital of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted based on the Restorative Justice framework, following the perspective of author Kay Pranis. Participant observation served as the primary method for data collection. Data analysis was performed using the phenomenological-hermeneutic analysis model. Results: It was possible to identify that the traumatic experience of imprisonment and its social practices systematically threaten the mental health of Women Deprived of Liberty. On the other hand, was also possible to identify that Peacemaking Circles works as instruments that allow the symbolization of the experience of suffering and contribute to strengthening hope for the future and mitigating the effects of social determinants of health. Conclusion: Peacemaking Circles promote the mental health of Women Deprived of Liberty, as they allow the symbolization of the experience of suffering, have a pedagogical effect, contribute to strengthening hope and autonomy, and also promote actions aimed at mitigating the effects of social determinants of health. Keywords: Restorative Justice, Mental Health, Women Deprived of Liberty, Peacemaking Circles , Qualitative study.

Pelaksanaan Pembinaan Terhadap Narapidana Resiko Tinggi (Percobaan Bunuh Diri) di Lembaga Pemasyarakatan Perempuan Klas IIB Jambi

Jambi Class IIB Women's Penitentiary, which is a special prison for women, during training, one prisoner was found to have attempted suicide, this is a high risk prisoner. The aim of this research is to understand and analyze the implementation of coaching, obstacles and efforts towards high risk convicts (attempting suicide) at the Class IIB Women's Penitentiary in Jambi. The research method uses sociological juridical. Implementation of Guidance for High Risk Prisoners (Suicide Attempts) at the Class IIB Jambi Women's Penitentiary undergoes the same coaching program as other inmates, but the coaching is carried out with extra monitoring, especially on the use of tools so that they are prohibited from taking part in gardening activities and are further directed towards dancing activities. , singing, vocal processing which leads to healing and mental development of the prisoner. Obstacles encountered in the Implementation of Guidance for High Risk Prisoners (Suicide Attempts) at the Class IIB Jambi Women's Penitentiary, namely the legal factor itself (changes in correctional law thereby changing policies in the guidance of prisoners), law enforcement factors (the absence of psychologists and the absence of specifically for mental training coaches), infrastructure factors (the absence of special infrastructure for these prisoners), community factors (the family's indifference in healing the mental health of these prisoners) and cultural factors (society's stigma towards former prisoners in society. Efforts made in Overcoming obstacles in the Implementation of Guidance for High Risk Prisoners (Suicide Attempts) at the Jambi Class IIB Women's Penitentiary, namely making policy adjustments, socializing the existence of correctional institutions to prisoners, collaborating with the community, prisoners' families in healing the mental health of these high risk prisoners. Suggestions put forward are the need for the existence of a trainer with psychologist education at the Class IIB Jambi Women's Correctional Institution, increasing the socialization of the existence of the correctional institution in providing guidance for prisoners to form independence, personality and skills to return to society and collaboration with mental hospitals in developing prisoners' mental health.

Ketahanan Rumah Tangga Warga Binaan Pemasyarakatan (WBP) pada Lembaga Pemasyarakatan Perempuan Kelas III Mataram

Having a happy and harmonious home life is certainly everyone's dream. However, the course of married life is not always smooth and without obstacles. Married life is sometimes complicated and full of sharp stones or not always happy. So many have to stop in the middle of the road, but many are also able to make it to the end. This happened to the WBP Mataram Women's Prison where out of 203 prisoners there were 152 prisoners who were unable to maintain their married life. The reasons are different. For this reason, it is necessary to understand and know about the factors that influence divorce and the factors that influence household resilience, which can be used as a guide in carrying out domestic and marital life after serving a sentence. The concept of family resilience is very relevant because the concept of family resilience is in accordance with Islamic teachings and can be applied in efforts to realize family resilience. In order to be able to produce a generation of quality and of course useful for the nation and religion.

A qualitative case study of pregnancy and early parenting in Canada's federal prisons for women.

The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of pregnant people and new parents in Canadian federal prisons for women, and to better understand their ability to participate in the institutional Mother Child Program. This qualitative case study used semi-structured interviews with people who experienced federal incarceration during pregnancy or the early parenting years. Major themes in the analysis include: 1) Reasons why- and why not- to participate in the Mother Child Program; 2) Mothering from inside; 3) Health care; and 4) Strategies and survival. Mothers describe multiple reasons for choosing not to participate or being ineligible for the Mother Child Program; separation as common and traumatic; health services as inadequate; and mental health concerns being met with punishment. Alternatives to incarceration are recommended.

PKM Strategi Penguatan Literasi Digital Kritis untuk Pembinaan Perempuan di Lapas Kota Pontianak

Prison women are a group of people who are trained so that they do not repeat crimes when they reintegrate into society. Therefore, we conducted Tular Reason education activities for female Pontianak prison residents. The aim of the Tular Nalar digital literacy training at the Pontianak City women's prison is to (1) increase critical awareness to avoid crimes originating in the media, such as hoax traps and fraud, as well as incitement, hate speech, etc. (2) Provide the ability to check simple facts using several methods and tools. (3) Become a digital literacy agent in their environment. The activity participants are residents of the Pontianak Women's Penitentiary, most elderly. This activity was attended by 50 older women in prisons consisting of 45 prison residents and five prison officers. The participants were divided into five groups, each accompanied by one facilitator. The facilitators used the activity implementation guide module for the facilitator and the implementing team, templates of training props such as Stickers, Flyers, etc., which can be adjusted according to needs. The material presented to the participants included: (1) Understanding the basics of anti-hoax advocacy. (2) Understanding how to identify hoaxes, (3) Discussing digital fraud, (4) Discussing hate speech. The stages of the activity are using presentations, video screenings, and group discussions, practicing checking news hoaxes/facts, and filling out questionnaires to find out the participants' understanding accompanied by facilitators. The activity results were that the participants could identify hoaxes from the teaching materials used. The participants could present the results of group reflections and carry out simple fact checks.

PERAN CONCEPT ART DALAM PEMBUATAN PROYEK FILM ANIMASI BATIK GIRL - FICUSIA

Currently, the number of drug users is increasing every year. This problem is not only faced by Indonesian people, but also almost all countries. From the statement of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), there were 851 cases of drug abuse involving a total of 1350 suspects in 2022. And the data increased from the previous year. Many people already know that drugs are prohibited items that are very dangerous because they not only harm the users themselves, but also the people around them because they can cause symptoms such as dependence, hallucinations and convulsions. It is therefore very important to remind relatives or friends to avoid drugs because if they use drugs, they have to deal with the law and can be imprisoned for a long time. Based on this problem, Yayasan Cinderella Indonesia worked with the police to give jobs to female prisoners where the proceeds would be donated to people in need. The foundation then came up with the idea to create an animation project to inform the public about the dangers of drugs. And in 2021, Cinderella Foundation collaborated with Politeknik Negeri Batam in creating an animated film project entitled Ficusia.

Realisation of the principle of normalisation in the adoption of ICTs in a women's prison: A Finnish qualitative study

Digitalisation offers prisons versatile opportunities to promote the rehabilitation of incarcerated people during their imprisonment, on their return to society, and in communicating with relatives and service providers such as social welfare and health care services, housing services, and employment services. This study focuses on the Hämeenlinna prison, which is Finland's first closed women's prison using personal in-cell laptops for each incarcerated person. We ask (1) how is the principle of normalisation realised in the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in a women's prison and (2) how do cultural factors hinder the adoption of ICTs in prison. Research material was collected through ethnographic fieldwork and research interviews (22 prison employees and 15 incarcerated women). According to the results, the use of ICTs diversified and enhanced internal communication in the prison and offered a new tool for interacting in prison. The prison offered a limited opportunity for video-mediated motherhood, and efforts were made to respond to women's multi-problematic service needs in prison, and through utilising various digital services. However, the study shows that the realisation of the principle of normalisation in the adoption of ICT in a women's prison poses many challenges. Furthermore, security-oriented thinking and passive resistance appeared as key cultural factors that slow down the adoption of ICTs and new practices. As a conclusion, it can be stated that the adoption of ICTs and the construction of a new prison culture that utilises technology is a long-term process that requires a change in practices, culture and policies that emphasise security.

Foreign Experience of Punishment Execution in the Form of Imprisonment for Women

The article contains foreign experience in the execution of punishment against women in various countries belonging to different legal families. The main focus is on best practices such as separate housing, rehabilitation and education programs, health and reproductive rights, and support for family ties. The conditions for women in prison should be as close as possible to living conditions in freedom to help them adapt upon release. The issues of gender equality and discrimination in the penitentiary system are discussed. The degree of international cooperation and exchange of experience in the field of execution of punishments is emphasized.

Discriminative and predictive validity of risk assessment measures for women incarcerated for serious violent offences in Australia

Despite the growing population of women in Australian prisons, limited research has explored whether commonly used risk assessments – predominantly developed and tested on men – are valid for women. We investigated the discriminative and predictive validity of the Level of Service Inventory–Revised: Screening Version (LSI-R:SV), Level of Service/Risk, Need, Responsivity (LS/RNR), and the Historical, Clinical, Risk Management 20–Version 3 (HCR-20v3) for Victorian women imprisoned for serious violence (N = 79). The LS/RNR was related to any, violent, and non-violent recidivism, and both the LSI-R:SV and the H-Scale of the HCR-20v3 were related to violent recidivism, with the H-Scale demonstrating strong predictive validity for violence. Four LS/RNR needs domains demonstrated discriminative and predictive validity for any and/or violent recidivism (criminal history, family/marital, alcohol/drug problem, antisocial pattern). Findings are locally significant, showing that the LS/RNR and HCR-20v3 H-Scale are useful for the prediction and discrimination of recidivism for Australian women incarcerated for serious violence.

Legal Study on Fulfilling the Rights of Women Prisoners in Correctional Institutions

Objective: Female prisoners are prisoners who must be given special protection, especially in fulfilling their rights, because they have different natures from men. With such a nature, it becomes the main basis for the need for legal protection for women. However, in essence, these regulations still generally regulate the rights of prisoners, as we know that women will experience conditions that men do not experience, such as menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. So this becomes further research to analyze the fulfillment of the rights of female prisoners in correctional institutions. This research aims to analyze the implementation of fulfilling the rights of female prisoners based on Law Number 22 of 2022 concerning Corrections. Method: This research is a type of normative juridical and sociological juridical research, with the approaches used, namely the statutory approach, case approach, conceptual approach, and comparative approach. By qualitative research methods, in this research, the data analysis used is qualitative research method analysis models. Result: The rights of convicts must be given due attention in prisons, especially female convicts. Remember that there are many things that women experience that men do not experience, such as menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. However, there is still a lack of facilities such as a lactation room for breastfeeding for prisoners who are pregnant, and/or if the child is having a tantrum, this room can be used so as not to disturb the activities of other prisoners. Conclusion: Fulfilling the rights of prisoners is an important aspect of efforts to create better human resources after training in correctional institutions. The rights of convicts must be given due attention in prisons, especially female convicts. However, there is still a lack of facilities such as a lactation room for breastfeeding for prisoners who are pregnant, and/or if the child is having a tantrum, this room can be used so as not to disturb the activities of other prisoners. Apart from that, there are no regulations that specifically regulate the rights of female prisoners who are pregnant, breastfeeding, and with children.

Family support and coping strategies among female inmates: a cross-sectional study in penitentiaries

Family is one of the closest people in helping individuals solve problems and serve as the foundation for developing coping strategies. Several factors influence coping strategies, including problem-solving skills and family support. This study aimed to explore the correlation between family support and coping strategies among female prisoners. The research employed a quantitative correlation design using a cross-sectional approach and a total sampling technique, with a sample of 33 female prisoners. The study included two variables: family support as the dependent variable and coping strategy as the independent variable. The chi-square test was used for data analysis. The results revealed that a majority of female prisoners received good family support (51.5%), and most of them used emotion-focused coping strategies (63.6%). The results indicate a significant correlation between family support and coping strategies for female prisoners, with a p-value of 0.004. It highlights the importance of family support for prisoners in developing effective coping strategies. The findings emphasize that family support plays a crucial role in enhancing coping strategies for inmates, ultimately contributing to an improved quality of life.