Page 7 - Spring 2016 Newsletter

Researcher’s Corner:

Understanding Incarcerated
2014-2015

Women’s Motivation to AASP Oglesby Grant

Exercise
Recipient

Erica Tibbitts, PhD, Gearing Up

When I tell people about the work I do at In the United States, 1 in 110 individuals are behind bars, and while

the Philadelphia County Women’s Prison Americans account for around 4.4% of the world’s population, our

with Gearing Up (gearing-up.org), I ind prisons and jails hold 22% of the world’s incarcerated population

there are two common responses. Some (Walmsley, 2013). More humans are incarcerated in this country than

people say something along the lines in any other country in the world, and incarceration does not strike

of, “Oh, well I guess you have a captive all communities equally. Men of minority races are incarcerated

audience.” The other group says, “Is at disproportionate rates. Due to changes to minimum sentencing,

it like Orange is the New Black?!” These overall sentence lengths, and diversionary tactics such as drug

responses reveal two related (if slightly courts, increased probation (instead of incarceration), and the use

contradictory) trends. The former is a of transitional homes, incarceration rates have begun to decrease Erica

dearth of understanding concerning minimally throughout the country (Department of Justice Statistics,
TIBBITTS
the conditions and experiences of Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2015). Unfortunately, this decrease

incarcerated women. The latter is
applies only to male populations; women

increased visibility and awareness surrounding the criminal justice continue to be incarcerated at increasing

system provided by popular media, such as Serial, Orange is the New levels each year (Carson & Gionelli, 2013).

Black, and Making a Murderer. At irst, I cringe and usually assert that Currently, 93% of the prison population

running an exercise program and conducting research in a prison is made up of men (Guerino, Harrison,

setting is exceedingly dificult. In fact, it can be harder to recruit, & Sabol, 2012); consequently, most

maintain, and even ind participants in a prison than “on the outside.”
policies and procedures are designed

I am, however, actually heartened by the second. The general public for incarcerated males. Due to this

is beginning to pay attention to the costs of mass incarceration (to overwhelmingly male-centric system,

individuals, communities, and American society as a whole), the female inmates often do not have their Michael

causes of mass incarceration, namely racism and the prison industrial needs met, see declines in their physical
SACHS
complex, and the necessity for empathy and rehabilitation to help and mental health while incarcerated,

vulnerable individuals return successfully to their communities.
Dissertation Advisor
and when released, have up to a 70%

AASP Newsletter // Spring 2016 //
Researcher’s Corner: Understanding Incarcerated Women’s Motivation to Exercise

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