Expanding our understanding of women’s risk of re-incarceration

Abstract

Using criminal career data on a sample of Dutch female prisoners, we carry out analyses on population register data to assess the influence of motherhood and marriage on the likelihood of re-incarceration. More specifically, we will distinguish between women who stayed out of prison since release in 2007 and women who were re-incarcerated. After discussing theories of desistance and providing a literature review of studies on female desistance, this study addresses the following research questions: First, how many women offenders are re-incarcerated after release from prison and, on average, within how many days? Second, to what extent does motherhood affect the likelihood and timing of re-incarceration? Third, to what extent does marriage affect the likelihood and timing of re-incarceration? (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)