Abstract
Background
Women offenders are a growing population in the criminal justice system; most are
mothers. A subset of these women have a history of prostitution. Despite more recent
research identifying the needs of women offenders who are mothers, those with and
without experience in prostitution are still generally represented in the literature
as a homogenous group.
Methods
This study examined the differences between mothers who indicated that they had engaged
in prostitution with those who had not. The data were from a survey of offending mothers
in a Midwestern city and was based on 889 respondents. Approximately 20% of the women
indicated that they had engaged in prostitution at some point in their lives.
Findings
Mothers with histories of prostitution reported more exposure to violence, witnessing
crime, living in areas with high drug activity, and having a higher rate of physical
and mental health problems.
Conclusions
Health care professionals who interact with mothers in the criminal justice system
who have histories of prostitution should be careful to assess for a history of trauma
and its psychological consequences. Along with increased health care needs, interventions
are needed to help these women obtain basic needs such as stable housing outside of
high crime and high drug-use areas and to receive targeted psychological services
that respond to the unique trauma suffered by this subpopulation of offenders.
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Women's Health IssuesAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
American Counseling Association (ACA). (2005). American Counseling Association code of ethics. Retrieved September 9, 2011, from http://www.counseling.org/Resources/CodeOfEthics/TP/Home/CT2.aspx.
- The impact of drug use and crime involvement on health problems among female drug offenders.Prison Journal. 2002; 82: 50-68
- Gender response strategies: Research, practice, and guiding principles for women offenders.U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections, Washington, DC2003
- Violence and legalized brothel prostitution in Nevada: Examining safety, risk, and prostitution policy.Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 2005; 20: 270-295
- Incarcerated parents and their children.U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC2000
- Female inmates, family caregivers, and young children’s adjustment: A research agenda and implications for corrections programming.Journal of Criminal Justice. 2008; 36: 513-521
Cusick, Martin, & May, (2003). Vulnerability and involvement in drug use and sex work. London: Home Office. Research, Development and Statistics Directorate.
- Bad for the body, bad for the heart: Prostitution harms women even if legalized or decriminalized.Violence Against Women. 2004; 10: 1087-1125
- Family factors in the intergenerational transmission of offending.Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health. 2009; 19: 109-124
- Correctional population in the United States, 2009.U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC2010
- Caring for invisible patients: Challenges and opportunities in healthcare for incarcerated women.Hamline Journal of Public Law and Policy. 2007; 29: 161-209
- Lifetime use of mental health and substance abuse treatment services by incarcerated women felons.Psychiatric Services. 2002; 53: 317-325
- AIDS related issues among female prostitutes and female arrestees.International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. 1992; 36: 231-245
- Sex work and “date” violence.Violence Against Women. 2004; 10: 357-385
- Gender difference among prisoners in drug treatment.Journal of Substance Abuse. 2001; 13: 291-301
- Stress, appraisal, and coping.Springer, New York1984
- A qualitative study of the experiences of mothers involved in street-based prostitution and problematic substance use.Journal of Research in Nursing. 2008; 13: 437-447
- The extensive sexual violation and sexual abuse histories of incarcerated women.Violence Against Women. 2008; 14: 1090-1127
- Childhood trauma and women’s health outcomes in a California prison population.American Journal of Public Health. 2006; 96: 1842-1848
- Good practice for mental health programming for women in prison: Reframing the parameters.Public Health. 2009; 123: 431-433
- The counterproductivity of incarcerating female street prostitutes.Deviant Behavior: An Interdisciplinary Journal. 2001; 22: 403-417
Paladino, A. (2008). Female sex trafficking and prostitution in the United States: Exploring experiences of sexual and physical violence. Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology meeting in St. Louis, MO.
- Treatment of substance-abusing jail inmates: Examination of gender difference.Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 1997; 14: 339-349
- Children’s family environments and intellectual outcomes during maternal incarceration.Journal of Marriage and Family. 2005; 67: 1275-1285
- Violence against women associated with arrests for sex trade but not drug charges.International Journal of Law and Psychiatry. 2006; 29: 204-211
- Crack pipe as pimp: An ethnographic investigation of sex-for-crack exchanges.Lexington Books, New York1993
- Conceptualizing the impact of indirect violence on HIV risk among women involved in street level prostitution.Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2005; 10: 153-170
- A qualitative study of the experiences of mothers involved in street-based prostitution and problematic substance use.Journal of Research in Nursing. 2008; 13: 449-450
- When street workers are mothers.Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2004; 33: 329-341
- Survivalism and public opinion on criminality: A cross-national analysis of prostitution.Social Forces. 2010; 88: 1703-1726
- Relationships and HIV risk among incarcerated women.The Prison Journal. 2007; 87: 143-165
- Prisoners once removed: The impact of incarceration and reentry on children, families and communities.Urban Institute Press, Washington, DC2003
- The effects of childhood trauma on sex trading in substance using women.Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2006; 35: 451-459
- Perceived needs of inner-city street prostitutes: A preliminary study.American Journal of Health Behavior. 2001; 25: 55-59
- USA Association of criminal convictions between family members: Effects of siblings, fathers and mothers.Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health. 2009; 19: 94-108
Women’s Prison Association. (2009). Quick facts: Women and criminal justice 2009. Available: http://www.wpaonline.org.
- When moms are incarcerated: The needs of children, mothers, and caregivers.Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services. 2000; 81: 130-141
Biography
Tasha Perdue, MSW, is a Research Associate in the Department of Social Work at the University of Toledo. She is currently working with Dr. Celia Williamson on the issue of human trafficking in the Midwest.
Biography
Celia Williamson, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Toledo. Her research focus has been on prostitution and sex trafficking in the Midwest.
Biography
Lois A. Ventura, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Toledo. Her research has addressed women offenders, domestic violence, and the efficacy of treatment programs in reducing criminal recidivism.
Biography
Tiffany R. Hairston, MA, PC, LICDC, is a graduate assistant and doctoral student in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of Toledo. Her areas of interest include chemical dependence and multicultural issues.
Biography
La Tasha C. Osborne, MSEd, LPC, is a graduate assistant and doctoral student at the University of Toledo in Counselor Education and Supervision. Her current research includes utilization and perceptions of mental health services by homeless teen pregnant and parenting females.
Biography
John M. Laux, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education at the University of Toledo. His interests are in substance abuse diagnosis and treatment, personality assessment, and the needs of women offenders.
Biography
Jeff L. Moe, PhD, is an assistant professor at the University of Houston-Victoria. He has published in the area of the needs of offender women, and LBGT issues.
Biography
Paula J. Dupuy, EdD, is a retired professor of counselor education at the University of Toledo. Her research interests include diversity, women’s issues, multiculturalism, and qualitative methods.
Biography
Barbaranne J. Benjamin, PhD, is a professor and associate dean in the Judith Herb College of Education, Health Science and Human Service. Her research interests include system responses to the needs of women, older adults, and learners.
Biography
Eric G. Lambert, PhD, is a professor at Wayne State University. His research interests include job and organizational effects on the attitudes, intentions, and behaviors of employees, the evaluation of treatment interventions, and the treatment needs of offenders.
Biography
Jane Cox, PhD, PCC-S, is an Associate Professor in Counselor Education and Supervision at Kent State University. Her scholarly interests include the use of social construction concepts and collaborative methods in counseling practice, counselor training, and counselor supervision.
Biography
Vincent M. Nathan, JD, is an Associate Lecturer in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Toledo. He taught and practiced law in Toledo for approximately 40 years before returning to teaching. He is highly regarded on the national and state levels for his work in the field of adult and juvenile corrections.
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
August 10,
2011
Received in revised form:
July 12,
2011
Received:
June 8,
2010
Footnotes
Supported by Grant No. 2005-DD-BX-1066 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the United State Department of Justice.
Identification
Copyright
© 2012 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
