Abstract:
The prison has emerged as an object of attention and criticism in the works of sociologists
and criminologists. However, among this diverse body of works, little research has been
undertaken which interrogates the very different experience of men and women prisoners. In
particular, there is a paucity of research that adequately explores how women experience
their family relationships while in prison. Considering the fact that a significant number of
female prisoners in Ghana come from impecunious family backgrounds the need to
understand female criminality and its gendered effects on prison experiences become
paramount. This study examines how imprisonment affects the way female inmates
experience family relationships as a consequence of deprivation of liberty and the coping
mechanisms adopted to deal with this phenomenon. It therefore deploys a qualitative
phenomenological approach to collect data using in-depth interview from thirty female
inmates and five prison officers at Nsawam Female Medium Security Prison. Over the course
of the interviews participants gave full and rich accounts of their families and relationships
which were most often unstable and broken, but some are at times maintained and
strengthened in spite of their imprisonment. However, for many others, this topic was
difficult and sensitive to discuss as the feelings of separation, stigmatization, sadness and
regret were expressed during the interviews. The findings suggest that incarcerated mothers
sometimes lose their children and the mother identity. The study also revealed that the
incarceration of women has a repercussion on family relationship, which includes rolevacuum,
financial strain and stigma. It further observed that essential to coping with this
phenomenon was religion and appropriate support from officers and inmates who help to
limit the deleterious effects of imprisonment. Regarding originality and value, the study
develops new understandings in the Ghanaian context about the ways in which female
inmates construct and maintain family relationships both within and outside the prison and how gender impacts on the prison experience. The study therefore concludes that for most
female prisoners in Ghana familial relationships is greatly altered as a result of incarceration.
It is recommended that the Ghana Prison Service and its stakeholders revise their Ten-Year
Strategic plan and to address some of the issues concerning incarcerated women
