The Role of Romantic Partners in the Process of Women's Reentry in Chile

• In Event: Gender & the Shaping of the Reentry Process

Abstract

Despite the growth in reentry literature in recent decades, little is still known regarding the role of romantic partners in the process of transition back into the community. Moreover, the well-developed research regarding the "good marriage" effect on desistance has been conducted mostly with male samples, in the United States, and in times and contexts where marriage and being married is considered normative. For females, however, the feminist literature has pointed to the romantic partner as a potential source of criminogenic influence. Whether being in a romantic relationship will have any positive impact on the reentry process for females, is still an open question. Using data from the study "Reinserción, Desistimiento y Reincidencia en Mujeres Privadas de Libertad en Chile" [Reintegration, Desistance, and Recidivism Among Female Inmates in Chile], I analyze the effect of being in a romantic relationship on the likelihood of recidivism. In addition, I explore whether that impact is conditional on the characteristics of the relationship (i.e., quality) and of the specific partner (i.e., partner's behavior).

Author

• Pilar Larroulet, University of Maryland / Universidad Catolica de Chile