This paper describes a study that examined the relationship between incarcerated women’s reported stress and their various kinds of prison network ties; the paper reports on the research methodology and findings, which indicated that prison network ties are associated with stress reduction independent of an individual’s perception of integration.
Social integration is theorized to enhance psychological well-being and reduce stress among incarcerated women. However, little empirical research has examined the association between prison social integration and women’s stress during incarceration. This study expands on previous research by (a) examining the relationship between different types of prison network ties among incarcerated women and self-reported stress and (b) exploring whether women’s perceptions of social integration mediate the association between prison network ties and stress. Using ordinal logistic models that incorporate social network and survey data from two women’s prisons in Pennsylvania (N = 223) (WO-PINS), the authors find that pseudo-family–based, friendship-based, and trust-based network ties formed during incarceration are associated with reduced stress among incarcerated women. However, they find limited evidence that perceptions of social integration mediate the relationship between prison network ties and stress, suggesting that prison network ties are associated with stress reduction independent of an individual’s perception of integration. (Published Abstract Provided)