Estudiar en prisión: la situación actual de las mujeres en contextos penitenciarios españoles

Abstract

This aim of this study was to feature the results obtained on a social research, done in 31 correctional jurisdictions in Spain, and to assess the access to the different education levels by women prisoners, especially in the higher education cases and their relation to the different risk factors. The participants (n=310 women sentenced in open prisons, 30,1%) were selected in a two-stage sampling. The methodology used, combined a quantitative and qualitative methods (women’s questionnaire, personal interviews and professionals questionnaire). The results showed that the majority of participants left the school in an early stage, due to the risk factors. However, the participants who continued or returned to the education system in prison, considered it as a protection factor in this difficult environment, allowing them to manage and control their time in prison in a safer and healthier way, improving the relationships with the rest of the prisoners, their families and the prison officers. In addition, the participants considered that studying in prison could be useful and beneficial for their professional career.