Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) With Incarcerated Women: Exploring the Role of Prison Activities as a Determinant of Preparedness for Re-entry

• Published date: 01 November 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/10439862241272334
• Author: Mindi TenNapel,Ilma Jahic,Heather Caspers,Joseph Kim
• Date: 01 November 2024

https://doi.org/10.1177/10439862241272334

Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice

2024, Vol. 40(4) 680 –695

© The Author(s) 2024

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DOI: 10.1177/10439862241272334

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Original Article

Community-Based

Participatory Research

(CBPR) With Incarcerated

Women: Exploring the Role

of Prison Activities as a

Determinant of Preparedness

for Re-entry

Mindi TenNapel1, Ilma Jahic1, Heather Caspers1,

and Joseph Kim1,2

Abstract

This study was part of a 5-year Prison Research and Innovation Network (PRIN)

project to explore the shared perceptions of the prison climate among incarcerated

women. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) was used to partner

with incarcerated women as equal partners in the project. Focus group interviews

were conducted with the incarcerated women in the fall of 2020. Thematic analysis

was conducted to identify incarcerated women’s perceptions of prison climate in

the correctional facility. An item pool was developed from the themes identified,

and a new prison climate survey was administered to 436 incarcerated women.

Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the relationship between

prison activity, correctional practices, and preparedness for re-entry. The results

indicated the importance of prison activities, as incarcerated women who reported

that the prison offers sufficient activities were more likely to feel supported and

had a more positive view of the board of parole, which were in turn associated

with preparedness for re-entry. Policies targeted toward creating prison activities

and programs for re-entry should become a priority for prison leadership and the

department of corrections.

1State of Iowa Division of Criminal & Juvenile Justice Planning (CJJP), Des Moines, USA

2Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA

Corresponding Author:

Joseph Kim, Department of Human Development and Family Science, Oklahoma State University,

Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.

Email: joseph.kim11@okstate.edu

1272334CCJXXX10.1177/10439862241272334Journal of Contemporary Criminal JusticeTenNapel et al.

research-article2024

TenNapel et al. 681

Keywords

prison climate, community-based participatory research, prison activities, re-entry

Over the past decades, the number of institutionalized women in the United States has

significantly increased to the extent that incarcerated women are considered the

fastest-growing segment of the correctional population across different settings,

including state and federal prison, county jails, and state juvenile institutions and

county detention facilities (Sawyer, 2018). Between 2021 to 2022, the number of

women incarcerated in the United States increased 9% (Zeng, 2023). In Iowa, there

was a 2.1% increase in the number of women incarcerated between 2021 to 2022

(Carson & Kluckow, 2023). The average length of time in jail for women has also

increased steadily from 15 days in 2015 to around 19 days in 2022 (Zeng, 2023). Drug

offenses accounted for a significant number of incarcerated women (25%) in prison

(Carson & Kluckow, 2023).

Research has shown that the pathways for women into the criminal justice system

typically include a history of adverse childhood experiences, abuse, mental and physi-

cal health conditions, complex trauma history, and substance use (Carlson & Shafer,

2010; Fazel et al., 2017). Furthermore, many incarcerated women experience eco-

nomic hardships, with a significant proportion living in poverty, having low educa-

tional attainment, and being a primary-care provider for their children (Elwood Martin

et al., 2012; Ferraro et al., 2003; Harner et al., 2017). These factors have a significant

impact on incarcerated women’s well-being as well as their perception of the prison

environment.

Research on prison climate and/or development of prison climate surveys has pri-

marily been conducted in male correctional facilities (CIES, Moos, 1975; MQPL,

Liebling et al., 2011; PEI, Wright, 1985; PPI, Toch, 1977). These studies identified the

factors that comprise prison climate such as activity, support, safety, emotional/mental

health, alcohol/drug problems (Moos, 1975; Toch, 1977; Wright, 1985). A recent study

developed a new prison climate survey from research with incarcerated men and

women in the Netherlands and found six primary domains of prison climate: relation-

ships in prison, safety and order, contacts with outside world, facilities, meaningful

activities, and autonomy (Bosma et al., 2020). However, there is limited information

on the factor structure of the domains found from the prison climate surveys, and most

of the themes found were from research using samples of incarcerated men.

Unlike incarcerated men, who are typically assigned to prisons based on their crim-

inal offense, prior history, and psychological profile, incarcerated women of different

security levels are more likely to be commingled together or separated by internal

housing classifications. Many states have only one prison facility for women, which

often means women are geographically isolated from their residences, making it more

difficult to receive family and friends visits (Kajstura & Sawyer, 2024). This repre-

sents a unique challenge for both facility management as well as program develop-

ment and implementation to meet the unique needs of its diverse population.