Opportunity and Empowerment in Female Prison Reentry in Wooster, OH

Authors

Zoe E. Cunningham-Cook, The College of WoosterFollow

Abstract

This study investigates the process of reentry after prison for women in Wooster, Ohio, using theories of morality and punishment by Durkheim and Foucault, general strain theory by Broidy and Agnew, and intersectionality by Hill Collins. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected to gain a broad understanding of this particular court system and the people involved in it. Statistics on the people sentenced to prison through this court from January 2012 to October 2015 were gathered and analyzed to learn of the demographics of those sentenced to prison and how different backgrounds, especially gender, affect the charge and sentence length. To supplement this, interviews were conducted with four women in the process of reentry, as well as three staff members of the courthouse. The results revealed that despite the fact that many women sentenced to prison come from marginalized backgrounds, prison programs and a supportive probation department have aided successful reentry.

Advisor

Tierney, Thomas

Department

Sociology and Anthropology

Recommended Citation

Cunningham-Cook, Zoe E., "Opportunity and Empowerment in Female Prison Reentry in Wooster, OH" (2016). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 7358.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/7358

Disciplines

Criminology | Inequality and Stratification | Politics and Social Change | Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance

Keywords

Reentry, women, prison, probation

Publication Date

2016

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis Exemplar