“No Matter What Has Been Done Wrong Can Always Be Redone Right”

Abstract

In this article, the authors explore the religious and spiritual experiences and beliefs of incarcerated battered women who killed abusive intimate partners or (step)fathers. Through in-depth interviews with 12 imprisoned battered women, the authors examine the role that religion and spirituality played in the women's lives before and during their incarceration. Regardless of their religious upbringing, most had what they described as spiritual experiences during their time in prison. For them, participation in the support group for battered women and their spiritual experiences "freed them" by giving them a way to reconstruct and reinterpret their victimization, perpetration of violence, and subsequent incarceration.

Loss of Meaning as a Predictor of Distress in Prison

“…There is evidence that prisoners engage in religious, spiritual, and humanistic practices much more than they did before they were incarcerated (O’Connor & Duncan, 2011). Religion and spirituality are often described as important coping strategies in dealing with prison distress (e.g., Mandhouj, Aubin, Amirouche, Perroud, & Huguelet, 2014; Maschi, Viola, & Morgen, 2014; Nedderman, Underwood, & Hardy, 2010; Schneider & Feltey, 2009). Qualitative and theoretical studies describe psychotherapy as an important way for prisoners to process the losses that result from incarceration and ultimately find new ways to experience meaning in life (e.g., Braswell & Wells, 2014; Ferrito, Vetere, Adshead, & Moore, 2012; Gee, Loewenthal, & Cayne, 2011; Mapham & Hefferon, 2012; Worthington, Hook, Davis, & McDaniel, 2011).…”

Surviving the Storm

“…Benefits of a relationship with a higher being that survivors have noted as key to trauma survival and recovery include spirituality acting as a source of refuge and emotional comfort, assisting in the process of meaning making, enhancing self-acceptance, building inner-strength, establishing a life purpose, and creating a sense of hope (see Gall et al, 2007; Yick, 2008; Schneider & Feltey, 2009). In a study of resiliency among African American trauma survivors, Alim et al, (2008) found a sense of purpose in life promoted resilient outcomes and contributed significantly to the recovery process.…”

The role of spirituality in sexual minority identity.

“…Within the general public, spirituality has been reliably connected to numerous positive outcomes (Garfield, Isacco, & Sahker, 2013;Paranjape & Kaslow, 2010;Thoresen, 1999). It has been found to promote resiliency and self-esteem (Haight, 1998;Kashdan & Nezlek, 2012), and predicts a greater ability to adapt and cope with stressful situations (Gnanaprakash, 2013;Salas-Wright, Olate, & Vaughn, 2013), including illness (Lo et al, 2010;Nelson et al, 2009;Pagnini et al, 2011;Visser, Garssen, & Vingerhoets, 2010), exposure to violence (Benavides, 2012;Schneider & Feltey, 2009;E. A. Walker, 2000), psychological aggression (Austin & Falconier, 2013), and substance abuse (Turner-Musa & Lipscomb, 2007).…”