SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.32 issue45The irresistible prison. Self-inflicted deaths under penitentiary custody in ArgentinaPrison violence. Definition, assessment and explanation author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Journal

Article

Related links

Share


Revista de Ciencias Sociales

Print version ISSN 0797-5538On-line version ISSN 1688-4981

Abstract

SANHUEZA, Guillermo; BRANDER, Francisca  and  REISER, Lauren. Incarcerated women in Chile. Quality of life in prison and intervention needs. Rev. Cien. Soc. [online]. 2019, vol.32, n.45, pp.119-145.  Epub Dec 01, 2019. ISSN 0797-5538.  https://doi.org/10.26489/rvs.v32i45.5.

In this article we analyze the situation of incarcerated women in Chile and their intervention needs, based on a combination of quantitative data with qualitative interviews conducted in a women's prison in Santiago. Most of them were mothers (89%); and many had faced traumatic situations such as domestic violence (47%) or sexual abuse in childhood or adolescence (26%). They declared to have more problems of coexistence with other inmates than their male counterparts, though fewer conflicts with authorities; less access to work and sports programs; greater access to psychosocial, cultural and school leveling programs. The interviews tell stories of exclusion and accumulated disadvantage, abuse of substances and self-destructive behaviors. We conclude that there is limited capacity of the penitentiary system to accommodate the specific needs of imprisoned women.

Keywords : prison; Chile; female inmates; needs; intervention; cumulative disadvantage.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )