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Victimization and Revictimization of Female Offenders: Prison Administrators Should Be Aware of Ways in Which Security Procedures Perpetuate Feelings of Powerlessness Among Incarcerated Women

NCJ Number
176011
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 60 Issue: 7 Dated: December 1998 Pages: 106-112
Author(s)
L Bill
Date Published
1998
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article examines how prison policies often contribute to the revictimization of incarcerated women by perpetuating feelings of powerlessness and vulnerability.
Abstract
Research suggests that childhood and adult victimization of girls and women frequently is a precursor to female criminality. These women also become more vulnerable to an array of psychological and behavioral problems involving drugs, alcohol, and post-trauma stress disorder. In addition, most prison operations include procedures that can cause vulnerable women to relive their abuse experiences and communicate to them a renewed sense of powerlessness. The article recommends several actions that help to recognize and deal with the interconnectedness of women's problems and needs: (1) changes in prison security procedures; (2) changes in the quality and attitudes of correctional staff; (3) more congenial and less institutional environments for community-based programs and prison programs; (4) programs that help women change their lives through skill-building and understanding; (5) "empowerment model" counseling sessions; and (6) alternatives to incarceration. Notes, references