Participating in Prison-Based Mental Health Programs: Relevant Characteristics Among Female State Prisoners

Background and Purpose

For female prisoners, the primacy of gender and their pathways to crime present complicated issues to be addressed via prison programs. In addition, many female prisoners enter the institution with significant mental health conditions. As the U.S. prison population grows, correctional institutions are now responsible for meeting the health care needs of its inmates. Some have questioned whether prisons are an appropriate venue for treatment. For female prisoners, in addition to meeting their mental health needs, it is important to promote a sense of physical and psychological safety. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics associated with participation in mental health programs among state female prisoners. 

Methods

Data and sample: Survey data of state prisoners in the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities. The sample of female prisoners used in this study was 679. 

Analysis: Descriptive statistics and sequential logistic regressions were used to evaluate the odds that a female prisoner had participated in mental health prison programs given her pattern of response to questions about 15 different predictor variables including her demographics, static (unchanging) and dynamic (malleable) criminogenic characteristics, and gender-responsive characteristics (which includes mental illness).

Results

Among the sample of female prisoners, those who participated in mental health programs were aged 25-55, who served at least one year in prison at the time of the survey, were prison rule breakers, and had a history of mental illness. Here, females who had served at least three years in prison were nearly five times as likely as females who served less than  one year to participate in mental health programs, in terms of odds, OR = 4.71, p < .001. Overall, 22% of the change in variance for mental health program participation was accounted for in this pattern of significant variables.

Conclusions and Implications

Findings from this study demonstrated that female prisoners with mental illness are participating in mental health programs in prison. This study also found that many of the female prisoners who participated in mental health programs had lengthy stays in prison, which is partially supported in studies that suggest longer stays within prison may allow females some adjustment to the environment allowing increased program participation and a feeling of more control over their environment. Finally, this study found that rule infraction was significantly associated with the odds of participating in mental health programs. This is also partially supported in studies that report longer-term females may have more infractions and may need more specialized interventions compared to short-term inmates. This study acknowledges the complexity of females’ pathways into crime and advocates for future research that challenges the criminalization of mental illness. Social workers have historically played prominent roles in health care arenas as one of the largest groups of professional mental health service providers, thus, extending this role to corrections populations offers the opportunity to impart our professional commitment to vulnerable populations and advocating for appropriate care.