Women in Prison in Serbia and the Quality of Prison Life

• In Event: Prison Working Group: Life in women's prisons: Adjustment, quality of life, and peer support

Abstract

Female prisoners present one of the most vulnerable social groups, but they are rather marginalized in the studies, primarily due to their small share in the total prison population worldwide. The aim of the paper is to discuss findings of the empirical study on the quality of prison life (QPL) of female prisoners in Serbia. It is a part of the national three-year research project entitled PrisonLIFE, supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia (No. 7750249), which aims at identifying key aspects of the QPL of convicts in Serbia, assessing it and suggesting measures for improvement. The study was conducted in May and September 2022 on a sample of 91 females who served prison sentence in the Correctional Institution for Women in Pozarevac, the only prison for women in Serbia. The data was collected with the use of a Serbian version of the Measuring the Quality of Prison Life (MQPL) survey, assessing five dimensions of the prison social climate. Research results suggested relatively low general QPL of female convicts (M=3.53; SD=2.54; range 1–10). As for the QPL dimensions, the study revealed that Conditions and Family Contact, Harmony and Security dimensions were positively estimated, while relatively negative experience of female respondents was found with Wellbeing and Development and Professionalism dimensions. Differences in perceiving QPL based on respondents’ socio-demographic, criminological and penological characteristics will be examined. We will conclude with pointing to specific prison climate dimensions requiring improvement or intervention.

Authors

• Sanja Ćopić, University of Belgrade – Faculty for Special Education and Rehabilitation, Serbia

• Ivana Stevanović, Institute of Criminological and Sociological Research, Serbia

• Nikola Vujičić, Union University, Law School Belgrade, Serbia