Abstract

of

AN EXAMINATION OF MOTIVATING FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE WOMEN
OFFENDERS TO PARTICIPATE/COMPLETE EDUCATIONAL AND
VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA PRISONS

by

Jacqueline Rodriguez

Statement of Problem

The following is a qualitative portrait of women in prison and their educational experiences before and during their incarceration.

Sources of Data

This portrait was developed from written correspondence with nine women who were incarcerated in four California prisons between March 2006 and November 2006.

Conclusions Reached

The purpose of this study was to find motivational factors that influence women in prison to participate/complete educational and vocational programs. The three major themes that emerged from the data were prior educational experience, barriers and motivation. Within these three themes, the following sub themes evolved: support, problem-solving, and goals. The process that describes how education/vocation operates on these participants’ lives is the process of identity transformation.

During incarceration many of these women enrolled in educational programs and participated in vocational programs despite how they felt about their prior educational experience, experiencing barriers to prison educational programs, and navigating motivational difficulties. The experience of overcoming barriers helped these women develop an awareness of their own capabilities, enabling them to plan for their future. These case studies present a model of the process of how education influences our past, present and future development and illuminates possibilities for improving educational and vocational programs within prisons.