Female felons in America

1. Female felons in America Based on research by Warren, J., Hurt, S., Loper, A., Bale, R., Friend, R., & Chauhan, P. (2002)

2. Psychopathy in female prison populations • Psychopathology: Symptoms that cause mental, emotional, and/or physical pain. • Research confirms that more females in prison suffer from higher rates of psychopathy than their male counterparts.

3. Mental health issues among females incarcerated Most common diagnoses: Substance Abuse/Dependence (70%) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (34%) Severe disorders (19%) Includes: Schizophrenia, Mania & Major Depression

4. Definitions(Nolen-Hoeksema, 2004) • Substance use: Recurrent substance use leads to significant harmful consequences • Substance Dependence: Substance use leads to physiological dependence or significant impairment or distress

5. PTSD: anxiety disorder characterized by repeated mental images of experiencing traumatic event, emotional numbing, and hyper vigilance • Schizophrenia: disorder consisting of unreal or disorganized thoughts and perceptions. Includes verbal, cognitive and behavioral deficits

6. Mania: State of persistently elevated mood, feelings of grandiosity, over enthusiasm, racing thoughts, rapid speech and impulsive actions • Major Depression: Disorder involving a sad mood, plus four or more of the following: weight loss, insomnia, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, severe guilt, trouble concentrating, suicidal ideation. Symptoms must be present for at least 2 weeks

7. Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD): • Pervasive pattern of criminal, impulsive, callous, and/or ruthless behavior. • Disregard for the rights of others and an absence of respect for social norms. • Use to be referred to as “psychopath”

8. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) • Rapidly shifting and unstable mood, self-concept, and interpersonal relationships • Impulsive behavior and transient dissociative states • Includes out-of-control emotions that cannot be smoothed, a hypersensitivity to other people, and history of hurting oneself

9. Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) • Rapidly shifting moods • Unstable relationships • Intense need for attention and approval Often use overly dramatic behavior, seductiveness and dependence

10. Several studies have documented that many female prisoners suffer from Personality Disorders • APD and BPD are the two most common types identified in females incarcerated

11. Hypothesis for high levels of mental illness in female prisoners • Severe forms of early abuse and neglect common to many incarcerated women lead to psychiatric disorders • Intergeneral transmission • Typical behaviors seen in APD & BPD can lead to arrest and imprisonment of females

12. Racial issues? • Psychiatric distress is seen more in White inmates • Suggests the most deviant White women are incarcerated while African American women are imprisoned for less serious behavior

13. History of victimization • Recognized that over half of all females incarcerated are victims of physical and sexual abuse • Females who have a history of victimization are more likely to be at risk for adult substance dependence than male counterparts

14. Repeat victimization • Several studies have shown connection between childhood victimization and experiencing violence in adulthood

15. Hypothesis • Modeling by parents • Exposure to deviant peer and community influences • PTSD • Internalizing self as a victimized person • Reenactment of childhood events as adult (Either as victim or aggressor)

16. Violent Fems • Research collected worldwide confirms women commit far fewer violent crimes than men • Women tend to be violent towards own family members. • Occurs usually in the home, while on medication

17. Violent Fems (continued) • The wounds females inflict are less serious than those by male counterparts • Women are less likely to be arrested than male counterparts

18. APD and violent behavior has been documented well documented in men • Research between APD and violent behavior in women is in early stages

19. Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) • Used to assess various Axis I psychopathology • Nine subscales: Somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, and paranoid ideation

20. Prison Violence Inventory (PVI) • Used to measure the amount of violence that each inmate has both experienced and perpetrated in prison

21. The sample • 48% were 32 years old or younger • 3% over 50 years of age • 61% minority • 51% graduated from high school • 79% had at least one child

22. The sample (cont.) • 33% had previously been incarcerated • 21% in for a violent offense • 8% in for a “potentially violent offense” • 1% in for a sex crime • 28% in for drugs • 39% in for property offense

23. The sample (cont.) • Over 50% screened positive for a Personality Disorder • More younger women (< 32) had a Personality Disorder than their older cohorts

24. The sample (cont.) • 55% reported being victims of sexual abuse before 18 years old • 39% reported experiencing physical abuse before age 18 • Younger, non minority women reported higher levels of victimization

25. High violence group • Reported two or more violent incidents • N=73 • Age level and a positive screen for APD significantly increased the likelihood of being in the high violence group

26. Minority women • 15-20% of United States population • However, over 60% of women in prison are minorities • Stringent drug sentencing accounts for a large part of this difference

27. Killers • Majority of humans who murder do not suffer are not antisocial or psychopathic • Killers have the lowest recidivism rates

28. Predicting prison violence • Age • Minority status • High scores on BSI Global Severity Index • APD or HPD • Sexual victimization before age of 18