Incarcerated women’s lived experience: a study in Dessie and Woldia correctional centers, Ethiopia

Purpose This study aims to examine the reasons for and the challenges of women’s incarceration coupled with the threats for their reintegration upon release with a focus on the correctional centers at Dessie and Woldia cities. Design/methodology/approach This study used quantitative and qualitative research methods with cross-sectional and descriptive research design used to collect the quantitative data, and key informant interviews and participant observation were used to collect the qualitative data. A sample of 60 women prisoners was taken from both correctional centers. The quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, respectively Findings Findings of the study indicate that family backgrounds, gender-based violence, illiteracy and socio-economic problems were the causes for the women’s imprisonment. The women perpetrators were mainly accused of theft, vandalism, murder and moral perversion. Poor detention environment, worry for the family breakup, emotional instability, financial hardships and deprivation of spiritual life were the major sources of distress among the incarcerated women, whereas social stigma, lack of trust and fear of revenge were the threats to reintegrate to their families and communities. Research limitations/implications This study involved incarcerated women at the correctional centers in Dessie and Woldia who committed various types of crimes. Because the informant women were imprisoned for violating certain established rules and regulations, they might have withheld some relevant issues to this research, which they thought were secret and personal. In addition, the women at the correctional centers might not have felt secure to speak more openly about their worst experiences at prison for fear they should face administrative challenges stemming from disclosing their real-life situations as incarcerated persons. The authors thus believe that further research is needed to uncover facts about women’s criminality and the experiences of women inmates at correctional centers. Practical implications The findings of this research do have practical implications as explained below. The local government sectors and non-governmental organizations will benefit from the study so as to develop feasible strategies to mitigate women’s criminality and scale down the increasing number of female perpetrators (prisoners). Local government and non-governmental entities (bodies) can easily identify the violent behaviors of husbands that cause women’s criminality and design comprehensive awareness creation strategies toward reducing hostile gender relations. Governmental and non-governmental stakeholders including the local communities will be able to advocate gender equality programs aiming at eliminating gender discrimination and abuses that exacerbate women’s criminality. Incarceration centers will improve access to education and vocational training to female inmates so that beneficiaries will acquire relevant knowledge and skills to enter into the local labor market to sustain themselves and their families upon release from prison. Originality/value This is an original paper with a fresh perspective regarding the lived experiences of women at the prisons of study area guided by popular criminological theories. Thus, the research work would be used as a literature of the study area and help government and non-government bodies to prepare policies and guidelines. Most particularly, the Woldia and Dessie correctional centers would benefit from this paper to develop essential plans and take measures about the adverse situation of incarcerated women.