How Does a History of Trauma Affect the Experience of Imprisonment for Individuals in Women’s Prisons: A Qualitative Exploration

The majority of women in prison have experienced prior traumatic events. Imprisonment can also be considered a experience. Research exploring how imprisonment affects with trauma histories is scarce. To examine this, qualitative interviews were conducted 50 participants imprisoned three women’s prisons England. Four overarching themes identified using thematic analysis: the traumatizing system; triggering power dynamics; trust relationships; and surviving thriving. Aspects environment staff behavior as traumatizing, while peer relationships provided some mitigation these difficulties. These findings implications for design prisons, improvements recruitment training, implementation trauma-informed care individuals prisons.