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Adjudicated health: incarcerated women and the social construction of health

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Abstract

Women in prison have been identified as one of the most vulnerable groups of women in society. This study examined the social construction of health through weekly interviews with 20 incarcerated women over 15 months. The study was grounded within a critical hermeneutic context using interpretive methods for data analysis. Adjudicated health reflects the social construction of health for women prior to and during imprisonment, and is dually grounded in protection and punishment — a construction in direct apposition to the department of correction's conceptualization of health. Implications for the health of women during imprisonment and post-release are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Nursing, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, 30912-4250, USA (email

    M. Katherine Maeve

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  1. M. Katherine Maeve
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Maeve, M.K. Adjudicated health: incarcerated women and the social construction of health. Crime, Law and Social Change 31, 49–71 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008376229520

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