Female Inmate Subcultures

Abstract

Women's prisons have traditionally been viewed as less violent compared with men's prisons. While the male inmate subculture has long been studied and theories developed to explain the existence of such a subculture, women's prisons and female inmate subcultures have not been examined as thoroughly. Compared to men's prisons and male inmates, female prisons were viewed as less volatile, the relationships between female inmates were described as attempts to replicate family relationships in the community, and interactions between female inmates and correctional officers were seen as being less antagonistic. However, women's prisons may differ significantly from how they have been perceived and the existence of a female inmate subculture that includes aggressiveness, violence, and victimization may play a larger role in women's prisons than originally believed. Given the common and extensive histories of victimization and trauma that many female inmates bring to prison, in addition to the losses associated with motherhood, facing a more aggressive and violent inmate subculture may make incarceration especially trying for women. In addition, the effects of loss and victimization prior to and during incarceration may make the challenges of reentry even more difficult for women leaving prison.