A QUALITATIVE COMPARISON OF BATTERED WOMEN'S PERCEPTIONS OF SERVICE NEEDS AND BARRIERS ACROSS CORRECTIONAL AND SHELTER CONTEXTS

    Authors

    A. J. Pritchard; C. E. Jordan;L. Jones

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Crim. Justice Behav.

    Keywords

    intimate partner violence; battered women; incarcerated women; help-seeking; incarceration; INTIMATE-PARTNER HOMICIDE; VIOLENCE; PATHWAYS; ABUSERS; GENDER; VICTIMIZATION; RESPONSES; OFFENSES; VICTIMS; HEALTH; Psychology, Clinical; Criminology & Penology

    Abstract

    This study explores the confluence of victimization and incarceration to contribute to the understanding of battered women's experience of the criminal justice system. Building on previous qualitative research investigating pathways to incarceration for battered women, this study utilizes qualitative data from 10 focus-group interviews to investigate and compare battered women's experiences with victimization, help-seeking, and perceptions of incarceration across four different site types: jails, prisons, shelters, and post-release support groups. The study makes comparisons across these sites and identifies site-specific service needs and perceived barriers to meeting these needs. These data also reveal three ways battered women perceive incarceration to operate with respect to their service needs: as a symbolic barrier, as a potential opportunity, and as a structural barrier. The association of these divergent perspectives on incarceration with specific locations in the criminal justice system and the implications for targeted interventions based on these findings are discussed.

    Journal Title

    Criminal Justice and Behavior

    Volume

    41

    Issue/Number

    7

    Publication Date

    1-1-2014

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    844

    Last Page

    861

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000337566100003

    ISSN

    0093-8548

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