Pathways research have consistently cited relational problems as reasons women become involved in crime or maintain their criminal involvement. Yet once women enter prison, they employ relational strategies to make doing time easier. Thus, relationships play an important part in the lives of female offenders. However, little is known about the directional nature (i.e., positive and negative) of women’s prison relationships or the verbal interactions that take place. Drawing from communication and relational theories, the purpose of the current study was to advance the understanding of the types of verbal memorable messages women receive from people in the prison environment, the types of behavior they associate with the messages, the positive and negative relationships women maintain in prison, and how prison relationships are connected to doing time. Using in-depth interviews and surveys from a random sample of 60 women incarcerated in a single women’s prison, data reveal the use of memorable messages as strategies to navigate the prison experience and self-assess personal behavior. Memorable messages were often received from other incarcerated women and came to mind when women engaged in behaviors they were proud of, not proud of and avoided. Most messages were positive and used to accomplish goals that would assist with reentry into the community. However, some messages were negative in nature and left a few women feeling discouraged, while other women went against the message in an effort to prove it wrong. Women’s positive relationships were characterized by positive behavior, trust and honesty, while negative relationships were characterized by negative behavior, backstabbing and abuse from a romantic partner. Though few relationships were maintained with correctional officers, women perceived officers as helpful. Most women spent their free time with at least one other woman, but detailed the importance of alone time. Findings suggest the need for staff and inmate training to improve communication skills, which can positively impact women during and post-incarceration. Training on strategies for identifying and terminating negative relationships is also suggested for women in prison.
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