Abstract

Measures of well-being have gained importance in criminal justice. Examining the relationship between interpersonal traumatic experiences, post-traumatic stress (PTS), and quality of life (QOL) is thus an essential contribution to existing literature. Using data from interviews conducted with a sample of women incarcerated in a U.S. state prison (n = 83), we examined differences in PTS and QOL between groups of women who did and did not report experiences of captivity, sexual assault, and other, unwanted sexual experiences. We also explored relationships between these experiences, PTS, and QOL. Women with any of these traumatic experiences reported higher PTS than their non-affected peers and women who were held captive prior to incarceration had the highest levels of PTS and the lowest levels of environmental QOL. We also found relationships between captivity, financial security, and PTS. Systems-oriented implications for correctional and community settings are discussed.

摘要

福利措施在刑事司法中变得越来越重要。因此，检查人际创伤经历、创伤后压力 (PTS) 和生活质量 (QOL) 之间的关系是对现有文献的重要贡献。使用对被监禁在美国州立监狱中的女性样本进行的访谈数据（n = 83），我们检查了报告和未报告被囚禁、性侵犯和其他不受欢迎的性经历的女性群体之间的 PTS 和 QOL 差异。我们还探讨了这些经历、PTS 和 QOL 之间的关系。有任何这些创伤经历的女性报告的 PTS 高于未受影响的同龄人，而在监禁前被囚禁的女性的 PTS 水平最高，环境 QOL 水平最低。我们还发现了囚禁、财务安全和 PTS 之间的关系。讨论了对惩教和社区环境的面向系统的影响。