Cultivating communities of care: A qualitative investigation of the communication of support among incarcerated women |
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| Authors: | Courtney Hook Patricia Geist-Martin |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Communication Studies, Ohio University, Athens, USA;2. School of Communication, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA |
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| Abstract: | In 2014, a female-only detention and re-entry facility was restructured to implement new rehabilitative philosophies rooted in strategies to prepare incarcerated women for successful transition into society. A specialized housing unit called incentive-based housing (IBH) was created within this facility to promote an environment of accountability and responsibility. Here, women are expected to be proactive in seeking and achieving successes through programming, all while offering support to one another. In this study, participant observations and interviews were used to understand how 12 incarcerated women living in IBH communicate support. This qualitative study revealed three forms of support being communicated: (a) accountability, (b) validation, and (c) compassion. This study also revealed forms of communication that complicate support, including (a) drama and (b) rivalry. Communication of support is important to consider as we devise new approaches to rehabilitation within America’s criminal justice system. |
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| Keywords: | Incarceration social support incarcerated women rehabilitation qualitative research |
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