Abstract
The purpose of this study was to elicit the experiences of women who participated in a gender-responsive program in jail. Through the collection of life history interviews, this article highlights the transformative learning experiences of 13 women participants. Research questions included (1) how did the program foster transformative learning? (2) What effect did the program have on participants’ thinking, feeling, and behavior? Despite the highly regimented and regulated jail context—an environment where the women’s bodies are literally imprisoned—the results indicate the holistic programming and learning environment served as an emancipatory context in which transformation could occur through interpersonal and intrapersonal engagement. The results of this study also reveal the need for more and targeted advocacy and education for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women.
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