NCJ Number
81137
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 28 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1982) Pages: 24-39
Date Published
1982
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article summarizes a study of British female inmates and their adaptation to incarceration in an open prison. Because almost all sociological research on women in prison has been carried out in the United States, the study issues were framed by prior American research, and the findings relate to American studies.
Abstract
A general discussion of the British prison system for women and the types of women sentenced to prison notes that fewer women are sent to prison than men (as in the United States), that most women's prisons are overcrowded, and that most female inmates come from low socioeconomic levels. However, only a small minority of women in British prisons are nonwhite, compared with a majority in America, and fewer women in British prisons have prior prison records. A closer study of one open prison, Askham Grange, was based on inmate questionnaires, onsite observations, and official data files. Most of the women sentenced to this prison were not serious offenders. Many criticized the prison staff and rules. The inmate subculture at Askham was not strong, as suggested in previous studies, and familial structures and lesbian relationships played a less significant role in this prison than has been revealed elsewhere. To begin to understand how inmates adapt to prison life, researchers should consider both the prison resources (such as educational and vocational programs) and the previous experiences of the inmates. Although lesbianism, familial structures, inmate subcultures, and prior prison experiences are important elements of prison survival, their importance varies, and they should be regarded as only part of a more general model. Footnotes and a table are included.