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Woman's Life Before Serving Life: Examining the Negative Pre-Incarceration Life Events of Female Life-Sentenced Inmates

NCJ Number
232422
Journal
Women & Criminal Justice Volume: 20 Issue: 4 Dated: October-December 2010 Pages: 302-322
Author(s)
Margaret E. Leigey; Katie L. Reed
Date Published
October 2010
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article examines the pre-incarceration traumatic experiences of female life-sentenced inmates.
Abstract
Despite the increase in the number of females incarcerated, there is a paucity of research concerning female life-sentenced inmates in the United States. Using a nationally representative dataset containing the largest known sample of this population, the present research examines the pre-incarceration traumatic experiences of female life-sentenced inmates. The results indicate that these women are more likely to experience traumatic events, in particular abuse, than either male life-sentenced inmates or female inmates in general. Logistic regression analyses reveal a significant association between abuse and a life sentence in both gender-specific models. (Published Abstract)