Poster #111 - Female Incarceration in the English-speaking Caribbean

• In Event: Poster Session II (posters 80 – 155)

Abstract

Worldwide, women comprise a small proportion of incarcerated populations, though rates are rising in some regions. Despite this, correctional research often focuses on male prison experiences and treatment and programming prioritize men. This oversight misses that pathways to incarceration, risk and protective factors, and the experiences of women differ by gender. To date, scholarship has not considered these differences in the English-speaking, a region where females comprise between 3 and 8% of prison populations. The current poster examines two questions: (1) Are there unique pathways to female incarceration in the region, and (2) Are there unique pains of imprisonment for females in the region. We use nationally representative survey data collected from incarcerated individuals in six nations: the Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. The findings can be used to inform preventative measures to incarceration, correctional policy, and the development of gender-responsive programming and services.

Authors

• Emma Anderson, DePaul University

• Kayla Freemon, DePaul University