How Does a History of Trauma Affect the Experience of Imprisonment for Individuals in Women’s Prisons: A Qualitative Exploration

Jude Kelman; Rachael Gribble; Joel Harvey; Laura Palmer; Deirdre Macmanus

doi:10.1080/08974454.2022.2071376

How Does a History of Trauma Affect the Experience of Imprisonment for Individuals in Women’s Prisons: A Qualitative Exploration

Jude Kelman, Rachael Gribble, Joel Harvey, Laura Palmer, Deirdre Macmanus

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The majority of women in prison have experienced prior traumatic events. Imprisonment can also be considered a traumatic experience. Research exploring how imprisonment affects women with trauma histories is scarce. To examine this, qualitative interviews were conducted with 50 participants imprisoned in three women’s prisons in England. Four overarching themes were identified using thematic analysis: the traumatizing prison system; triggering power dynamics; trust in relationships; and surviving and thriving. Aspects of the prison environment and staff behavior were experienced as triggering and traumatizing, while peer relationships provided some mitigation of these difficulties. These findings have implications for the design of women’s prisons, improvements in staff recruitment and training, and the implementation of trauma-informed care for individuals in women’s prisons.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	171-191
Number of pages	21
Journal	Women & Criminal Justice
Volume	34
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/08974454.2022.2071376
Publication status	Published - 3 May 2024

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https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08974454.2022.2071376

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title = "How Does a History of Trauma Affect the Experience of Imprisonment for Individuals in Women{\textquoteright}s Prisons: A Qualitative Exploration",

abstract = "The majority of women in prison have experienced prior traumatic events. Imprisonment can also be considered a traumatic experience. Research exploring how imprisonment affects women with trauma histories is scarce. To examine this, qualitative interviews were conducted with 50 participants imprisoned in three women{\textquoteright}s prisons in England. Four overarching themes were identified using thematic analysis: the traumatizing prison system; triggering power dynamics; trust in relationships; and surviving and thriving. Aspects of the prison environment and staff behavior were experienced as triggering and traumatizing, while peer relationships provided some mitigation of these difficulties. These findings have implications for the design of women{\textquoteright}s prisons, improvements in staff recruitment and training, and the implementation of trauma-informed care for individuals in women{\textquoteright}s prisons.",

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How Does a History of Trauma Affect the Experience of Imprisonment for Individuals in Women’s Prisons: A Qualitative Exploration

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