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Objective: The effectiveness of a psychoeducational group intervention for HIV/AIDS-infected and affected women was examined at a large southeastern county jail facility. Method: A quasiexperimental pretest-posttest design was used to examine depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms of women inmates. Results: A multivariate analysis of covariance yielded significant differences between the experimental and comparison groups. Subsequent analysis of covariance for each dependent variable indicated significant differences between groups as well. Effect sizes ranged from moderate to strong. Conclusions: The psychoeducational group intervention appeared to be effective in alleviating depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms among women inmates infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.The number of women entering the jail and prison systems in the United States escalated by 202% over the past decade. Currently, women inmates account for about 9% of the entire prison population (Stephan & Jankowski, 1991), and women of color make up 57% of this group. One of the increasing health and emotional concerns of women prisoners and prisons themselves is the impact of HIV/AIDS on the jail population. To date, incarcerated women infected or affected by HIV/AIDS have received little interventive attention from corrections personnel. Despite indications that psychoeducational groups for people living with HIV/AIDS have been found to be effective in

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• Summary: A pilot study was conducted which examined the development and implementation of a psychoeducational group intervention for young female offenders incarcerated in adult jail. The purpose of the group intervention was to reduce levels of depression, anxiety and trauma symptoms among the female juveniles. T-test analyses were utilized to examine differences between pre-tests and post-tests on the three outcome variables. • Findings: Findings indicated that the group intervention may be effective in alleviating depression and trauma symptoms among young female offenders. No significant differences between pre-test and post-test were found for anxiety. • Applications: Due to large caseloads and lack of mental health professionals in the jails and prisons in the United States, young offenders receive little or no mental health treatment when they are incarcerated in the adult jail system. The group intervention described in the current study holds promise for providing a cost-effective and efficient technique for delivering mental health services to this young population of offenders incarcerated in adult jail. If we are concerned about curbing the rising tide of violence among juveniles, we must develop innovative rehabilitation programs to meet the needs of this population of inmates in our jail and prison systems.

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