`The Trauma, Mental Health and Offending Histories of Women in Jail: Results of a Multi-State U.S. Study was a study funded by the bureau of justice assistances conducted by Joanne Belknap and her research team which consisted of four Ph.D. psychologists from a wide range of institutions and a team of brilliant graduate and undergraduate students from various universities as well. In the study the main research questions were addressing the following concepts: current lifetime prevalence of serious mental illness(SMI), lifetime exposure to violence and adversity(trauma), to what extent does serious mental illness co-occur with PTSD and substance use disorder(SUD), the level of impairment associated with serious mental illness in women offenders,
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When analyzing the charges, they found out that probation/parole violation was the most common offense with drug possession being next in line. Surprisingly, when analyzing the probation/ parole violators they found out that most women who violated their agreement were one; convicted of drug charges and two; ending up violating probation for reasons like not showing up to their mandatory drug testing and not making it to their urinalysis screening. Of this, 16 percent were awaiting trial for violent offenses, with most being related to domestic violence chargers. Belknaps’ team also looked at the participants’ race, education, exposure to violence and adversity, and mental illness/ substance abuse. When researchers looked at the women’s mental illness, they concluded that 43 percent of the women had a lifetime prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI) and 32 percent of the women had a current/12- month incidence of SMI. When the researchers looked at the women’s substance abuse, they concluded that 82 percent
When analyzing the charges, they found out that probation/parole violation was the most common offense with drug possession being next in line. Surprisingly, when analyzing the probation/ parole violators they found out that most women who violated their agreement were one; convicted of drug charges and two; ending up violating probation for reasons like not showing up to their mandatory drug testing and not making it to their urinalysis screening. Of this, 16 percent were awaiting trial for violent offenses, with most being related to domestic violence chargers. Belknaps’ team also looked at the participants’ race, education, exposure to violence and adversity, and mental illness/ substance abuse. When researchers looked at the women’s mental illness, they concluded that 43 percent of the women had a lifetime prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI) and 32 percent of the women had a current/12- month incidence of SMI. When the researchers looked at the women’s substance abuse, they concluded that 82 percent