A new study of incarcerated women in Chile reveals that women respond to imprisonment in very different ways: While most experienced little change to their involvement in crime after release, those with higher levels of past criminal involvement transitioned toward less offending. Access to employment or training played a role in their lower levels of offending following release.

Led by Pilar Larroulet, assistant professor of criminal justice at Rutgers University- Newark, the study compared the number of crimes committed prior to incarceration with the number committed after incarceration, and examined whether changes in patterns of offending varied based on previous behavior and specific prison experiences.

Based on data of women released from prison in Santiago, Chile, this study examined the criminal justice experiences of nearly 200 incarcerated women over ten years—five years before and five years after prison. Most of the women were incarcerated for theft, drug trafficking, and robbery.

Published in the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, the study found that most of the women remained on a similar, low-level offending trajectory after release. However, when changes did occur, they were more likely to be away from crime. Behavioral change was gradual, characterized by steps rather than abrupt shifts. Some prison conditions (particularly access to employment or training) were associated with increased odds of women reducing their involvement in crime after release.

“Prison is not a uniform experience, and it should not be expected to produce a uniform outcome,” said Larroulet. “This is especially true for women with prior involvement in the criminal justice system, most of whom entered incarceration from very marginalized contexts—with limited access to employment, health care, and opportunities.”