Treating incarcerated women: Gender matters

This article discusses epidemiologic and psychiatric characteristics of incarcerated women. It provides a general overview of female offense patterns, discusses demographic characteristics of female inmates, and provides information about prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the female general population and male correctional population. The article emphasizes that female offenders show a pattern of complex psychopathology that includes substance dependence, antisocial personality disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder distinct from male offenders and women in the community. Treatment for women in prisons and jails should take into consideration the complex comorbidity of this population, the unique setting in which treatment is delivered, and the importance of gender in the treatment process.