Female Adjustment to Incarceration as Influenced by Sexual Assault History

Abstract

The number of female prisoners is increasing, and many of these women report a history of sexual assault. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of sexual assault on adjustment to incarceration. Females with a history of childhood and adult sexual assault were expected to show greater initial reaction and slower adjustment to incarceration than women with no history of sexual assault or a history of adult assault exclusively. Female minimum-security inmates ( N = 92) at a state prison participated in interviews and completed questionnaires on initial incarceration and 2 weeks later. Results indicated that type of sexual assault history influences adjustment to prison for female inmates initially and after 2 weeks of incarceration.