Scholars have examined women’s identity development in prisons. Less is known if and how identity development affects women in different stages of the correctional system. This study applies narrative identity theory, cognitive transformation theory, and literature on pains of imprisonment to 118 women’s life-story narratives to explore identity change in prisons, jails, and substance abuse treatment. Qualitative analysis revealed noteworthy situational differences in the prevalence and nature of identity transformations. Women typically associated substance abuse treatment experiences with positive development, whereas prisons and jails were generally associated with harm to identity. Implications for correctional policy and practice are discussed.

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This qualitative research investigates the extent to which 401 women under supervision identify employment-related personal projects (i.e., actions taken to achieve abstract goals) as a way to make their lives better. Psychological theory about personal projects and feminist pathways theory guided the analysis. Findings reveal how project meaningfulness, self-efficacy, and social support to carry out the project affect well-being. Structural barriers, disability, and transportation issues were also identified. Findings suggest that many women pursue and benefit from employment-related projects. Correctional agents can assist women by helping them choose meaningful projects and providing information, resources, and social support.

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Attrition, or the progressive loss of individuals from a sample, poses a major problem in fields that carry out research to inform policy and program design. Attrition This is the author manuscript accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as