Prisons in the Southeast are fundamentally rural institutions due to geographic locations, social climates informed by rural cultures of staff and prisoners, and, for many older Southern prisons, their roots in plantation agriculture. Despite these realities, rural criminology has yet to systematically synthesize and explore what exisiting research indicates about the everyday lives of the approximately 32,853 women currently serving time in state prisons in the Southern US.

This talk unites multidisciplinary literature to identify four prevailing themes evident in research regarding Southern women's prisons:

1.) Regional Culture in historical context

2.) Relationships and social dynamics

3.) Victimization and wellbeing

4.) Journeys through the system from sentencing to reentry

Our findings suggest that rural criminology has potential to play a major role in shaping prison research by emphasizing regional culture's relevance to everyday prison life.

This talk is hosted by University of Alabama scholars, Dr. Susan Dewey, Dr. Brittany Gilmer, and Instructor Lauren Yearout.