Abuse histories among newly incarcerated women in a New York City jail

This article reports the findings from a study of women detained in the women's jail at Rikers Island Correctional Facility in New York City. Interviews were used to gather data on five variables: women's childhood physical and sexual abuse, victimization as adults, drug use, homelessness, and suicide. These findings were analyzed along with biological data on STDs. The conclusions suggest that an association exists between childhood physical and sexual abuse and drug use, suicide attempts, and homelessness in adulthood. The findings indicate that these experiences are common for the population under study, and that a positive association between the variables exists in a sample of incarcerated women. Implications and questions for further research are discussed.