Social Media Usage and Incarcerated Women: A Pilot Study
| DOI | 10.1177/0032885517743436 |
| Date | 01 January 2018 |
| Author | Allison Sheaffer,Julie Perkins,April Rand |
| Published date | 01 January 2018 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
research-article2017
Article
The Prison Journal
2018, Vol. 98(1) 3 –16
Social Media Usage and
© 2017 SAGE Publications
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https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885517743436
DOI: 10.1177/0032885517743436
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A Pilot Study
Julie Perkins1, April Rand1, and Allison Sheaffer1
Abstract
The purpose of this pilot study was to explore social media usage among
incarcerated women in a modified therapeutic community. An author-
developed social media questionnaire was administered to 89 incarcerated
women. Participants reported high levels of social media usage, and many
had used social media to engage in criminal behavior. Although most of
the women identified seeing pictures of friends actively using substances
on social media as a trigger for relapse, they still planned to reactive their
social media accounts upon release. The role and power of social media in
these women’s lives must be understood and planned for in prison-based
treatment programs.
Keywords
social media, incarcerated women, substance abuse, modified therapeutic
community
Introduction
Although incarcerated women constitute 7% of the U.S. prison population
(Carson, 2016), their numbers grew by more than 700% between 1980 and
2014, from a 26,378 in 1980 to 215,332 in 2014 (The Sentencing Project,
2015). This growth in the female prison population has largely been the result
1University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA
Corresponding Author:
April Rand, University of Arkansas School of Social Work, SCSW106, 525 Old Main,
Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
Email: amrand@uark.edu
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The Prison Journal 98(1)
of more stringent drug laws, increasing the demand for appropriate correc-
tional drug treatment programs (Covington & Bloom, 2008; Messina,
Burdon, & Prendergast, 2003). Therapeutic communities (TCs) have become
the preferred criminal justice solution for meeting the treatment needs of
drug-dependent inmates within the prison system (Messina et al., 2003). TC
programs were developed with the primary goal of treating substance abuse
and introducing prosocial values to reduce criminal thinking and activity
(DeLeon, 1995; Messina et al., 2003).
Women entering prison substance abuse treatment are at a significant dis-
advantage in comparison with their male counterparts (Messina et al., 2003;
Messina, Grella, Burdon, & Prendergast, 2007). Compared with male offend-
ers, women have higher rates of intimate partner violence, sexual violence,
child and psychological abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, and chronic
physical and mental health issues (DeHart, Lynch, Belknap, Dass-Brailsford,
& Green, 2014; Greene, Haney, & Huratdo, 2000; James & Glaze, 2006;
Lynch, DeHart, Belknap, & Green, 2012; McDaniels-Wilson & Belknap,
2008; Messina et al., 2003; Steadman, Osher, Robbins, Case, & Samuels,
2009). Research also indicates that serious mental illness places women at a
higher risk across the life span for substance abuse and drug offending
(DeHart et al., 2014). These complex needs must be addressed when prepar-
ing for successful reentry (Covington, 2002; Covington & Bloom, 2008;
O’Brien & Young, 2006).
With the coming of age of social media and the Internet, there has not been
a national policy regarding social media and Internet usage among those
incarcerated (Chambliss, 2011). Only four states currently allow limited
Internet access (Branstetter, 2015). California has reported problems with
inmates smuggling in phones, accessing social media, and contacting their
victims (Dobuzinskis, 2011). This has led to a policy by Facebook banning
the use of its social media website by those currently incarcerated. With the
rise of social media use among adults (Duggan & Smith, 2013), it is impor-
tant to consider the influence of social media on postrelease behavior such as
alcohol and drug use (Stoddard, Bauermeister, Gordon-Messer, Johns, &
Zimmerman, 2012). Thus, the purpose of this pilot study was to examine
social media usage among incarcerated women in a modified therapeutic
community (MTC).
Literature Review
Female offenders experience significant challenges when reentering the com-
munity (Carter & Marcum, 2017; Covington, 2002; Covington & Bloom,
2008; O’Brien & Young, 2006). Many women lack access to important social
Perkins et al.
5
services, which puts them at risk of relapse (Richie, 2001). For example,
most female offenders do not receive the crucial “wraparound services”
needed for successful reintegration, including substance abuse treatment
upon release (Richie, 2001). Moreover, female offenders have noted how a
lack of health care services, mental health treatment, educational and employ-
ment services, secure and affordable housing, and child and family reunifica-
tion support contribute to the array of challenges they experience during
reentry (Wright, Van Voorhis, Salisbury, & Bauman, 2012).
In addition to these challenges, female offenders are faced with triggers
for relapse as they reintegrate into their former communities (Wright et al.,
2012). Research suggests that the social and relational aspects of women’s
lives are more likely to elicit substance abuse relapse in comparison with
their male counterparts (Covington, 2002). Women place a strong focus on
relationships in their personal lives as a source of self-worth and empower-
ment, which greatly affects the way they see themselves within their com-
munities (O’Brien & Young, 2006). Often, the relational aspects of female
offenders’ lives serve as strong indicators for offending in the first place
and can directly affect women’s outcomes during recovery (Covington &
Bloom, 2008). For example, many female offenders are involved in drug-
related activity due to relationships with drug-addicted partners or social
networks with a heavy presence of illegal substance (Covington & Bloom,
2008). Thus, the likelihood of relapse increases when they are placed back
within the same social situations and environments upon release (Covington
& Bloom, 2008).
Social Media as a Trigger
At the time of entrance into the prison system, many female offenders have a
network of family members, friends, and acquaintances that facilitates illegal
behaviors (Bui & Morash, 2010). Upon release, women who are exposed to
the same negative social conditions are more likely to fall back into the same
habits, and have less successful reentries than women who adopt prosocial
networks (Bui & Morash, 2010). Although most women do not have Internet
access while incarcerated, social media is prevalent upon an inmate’s release,
reconnecting women with former social networks (Branstetter, 2015). Social
media penetrates into social systems throughout many different communi-
ties, connecting people easier than ever before (Van Dijck & Poell, 2013). For
women, especially, peer influence via social media has the ability to trigger
alcohol abuse (Cook, Bauermeister, Gordon-Messer, & Zimmerman, 2013).
Facebook has been shown to be a source of influence on young adults for
engaging in substance abuse and risky sexual behavior, due to the frequency
6
The Prison Journal 98(1)
of the behaviors displayed on the site by “friends” (Moreno, Kota, Schoohs,
& Whitehill, 2013). Social media does...
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