Social Cognition of Incarcerated Women and Children

Abstract

Incarceration severely affects the health and well-being of women and their children living inside the jail. Female criminality in India has been a neglected subject of study. Due to low incidence of female criminality, there is less emphasis on research in this field. Social cognition refers to the mental processes and abilities involved in how individuals perceive, interpret, and understand the social world. This study reviews the social cognition of women prisoners and their children in jail. Women in prison constitute a special group within the prison population, first and foremost because of their sex and gender inequalities. To address these harms, comprehensive and compassionate approaches are required. Another purpose of research in this field is to create socio-political and legal awareness concerning health consequences and effective improvement in the health status of women in prison.