Violence in the Lives of Incarcerated Women

Research indicates that women’s imprisonment is largely attributable to drug addiction, prostitution, and retaliation against abusive partners. These behaviors can all be described as survival strategies to cope with overwhelming physical, sexual, and psychological victimization. For example, many women were first arrested as juveniles because they ran away from home to escape abuse.

Violence in the Lives of Incarcerated Women, funded by the National Institute of Justice, traces the impact of violence on women’s involvement in crime. Center staff members individually interviewed 60 women incarcerated at South Carolina’s Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Facility.

These interviews consisted of open-ended prompts designed to elicit the woman’s perspective on the events and circumstances of her life. The woman’s answers form a background for a discussion of major turning points in her life and her perspective on crime, the justice system, and survival strategies.

An analysis of the women’s responses uncovers patterns in their lives. We will use this information to make policy recommendations for prevention and intervention strategies. Research findings will help us determine the most effective timing and means to support girls and women affected by violence and crime.

For more information about this research project, contact Dana DeHart at 803-777-7867 or dana.dehart@sc.edu.

To read the final report, entitled Pathways to Prison: Impact of Victimization in the Lives of Incarcerated Women, click here.