Experiences of maternal prisoners convicted with life imprisonment

This study aimed to describe the experiences of maternal prisoners convicted with life imprisonment. It will specifically focus on the difficulties in prison life and in their social relationships to their children, family or origin, husband and peers how they cope with the difficulties experienced and their self-perception. Nine maternal prisoners were interviewed with the use of a semi-structured interview guide. Each of the cases was analyzed afterwhich a cross-case analysis was presented at the end. From this, patterns and themes were produced. Results show that the problems the maternal prisoners encounter in prison are: adjustment to prison life, the loneliness and longingness to have contact with their children, communication with family or origin and husband, attention from friends and understanding among fellow inmates. They are found to be making use of emotion focused coping strategies to be able to manage the problems and difficulties that they experience inside the Correctional. They engage in behavior-oriented activities and cognitive way of coping. As for their self-perception, it was a trend across all the maternal prisoners to think of themselves in a negative manner before they were imprisoned and then consider themselves at present to have become better individuals