Life Histories of Women in Prison, 1986-1987

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between childhood sexual and physical abuse and women's criminal careers. The sample consists of 96 newly sentenced inmates at a correctional institution in a northeastern state. These women were asked to complete a ten-page questionnaire of primarily closed-ended questions. Twenty-one women also completed in-depth life history interviews. During the first part of the interview, women were asked to explore family history and family relationships. They were then asked about their developmental history, including health, school experiences, friends, goals, and sexual development. Particular attention was devoted to incidents of childhood sexual abuse, family violence, and other traumatic experiences. In addition, the women were asked to describe their involvement in delinquency and illegal activity, such as running away, stealing, substance abuse, prostitution, and first arrests. Finally, the women were asked about their adult history, including childbearing, relationships, work history, rape and sexual harassment, and self-image. The Murray Research Archive holds 96 questionnaires along with the 21 interview transcripts, and all numeric file data.