Incarcerated women’s experiences of rehabilitation in a South African correctional centre

Abstract

The number of incarcerated women in South Africa is steadily increasing. However, as women constitute only 3% of the incarcerated population in South African Correctional Centres, their rehabilitation experiences are often overlooked. Conducted between 2023 and 2024, this study aimed to explore the experiences of incarcerated women regarding rehabilitation in a South African Women’s Correctional Centre. A qualitative research design was employed to enable an in-depth exploration of participants’ perceptions and views. Data collection methods included participatory arts-based research workshops, an 18-month ethnography, and interviews with twenty-nine (29) women incarcerated. The data was analysed thematically, drawing on extensive excerpts from workshops and interviews. The findings reveal significant challenges, including a lack of technical and professional skills among Department of Correctional Services (DCS) staff and insufficient psychological and social service interventions in women’s correctional centres. Furthermore, the women reported gender-based discrimination in correctional employment, skills training, and education, which adversely affected their rehabilitation experiences. These findings underscore the urgent need for the DCS to address these issues by increasing the number of psychologists and social workers in women’s correctional facilities, providing incarcerated women with access to compulsory education and vocational training programmes aimed at enhancing their employability, and improving staff training and motivation to better support rehabilitation.