KINSHIP NETWORKS IN FEMALE PRISONS

The purpose of this paper is to examine the kinship networks that are formed by female prisoners with other prisoners based not on blood or marital ties but socio-emotional bonds. The paper begins with a brief discussion of the causes of the increase in female incarceration. The paper then presents a discussion of the development and purposes that kinship networks serve in prisons. The final section of the paper presents conclusions about the kinship networks of female prisoners formulated on the basis of the reviewed material.

Factors Responsible for Increasing Female Prison Population

In their report on the increase in the female prison population, Harrison and Beck (2004) stated that the single biggest factor responsible for the i

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tworks that consist not of blood or marriage ties but emotional ties to women in the prison. Pollock (2002) states that these kinship systems are a way of coping with the vulnerability that women feel in prison given that, unlike men, they tend to show their emotions more readily be these sadness, anger, happiness, or love. In other words, simply isolating themselves from the social collective in prison is not a workable option for most women. They need social support with real and intense emotional bonds. Regarding the nature and strength of these bonds, Douville (2005) points out that for many women these kinship networks of pseudo families are far better that their families on the outside. This is because outside family interaction often involves the use and abuse of drugs, intense, volatile and destructive relationships, and behavior that does not abide by even basic rules. Specifically, Douville (2005) states that there are two broad categories of emotional relationships that help female inmates cope and refers to these as either homosexual relationships or "playing family" which involves the development of kinship networks. Of these kinship networks, Douville reports that: A woman's role outside of prison is often re
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2165
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)