Meredith Dye, PhD, is a professor of sociology at Middle Tennessee State University. Her research focuses on the effects of incarceration, prison suicide, and women in prison. Recent publications have appeared in Women and Criminal Justice, Prison Journal, and Criminal Justice and Behavior.Ronald H. Aday, PhD, is a professor of sociology at Middle Tennessee State University. He has published several books including Crime and the Elderly, Aging Prisoners: Crisis in American Corrections, and Women Aging in Prison as well as over fifty articles and book chapters.

In this powerful report on a broken system, two sociology professors look at the depressingly large number of women sentenced to life in prison. They conducted in-depth surveys of female lifers in their home state, Georgia, but also take measure of the 112,000 women nationwide living federal and state prisons, a huge increase since 1980, when only 13,000 were incarcerated. Currently 6,700 women are serving life, life without parole, or 50 or more years behind bars, representing seven-percent of the overall correctional population and just four-percent of lifers. Most of the lifers are moms, and many, as one woman put it, watched their children “grow up in pictures.” Interestingly, 83-percent of the women in the authors’ sample indicated a history of being abused, and more than half reported no drug or alcohol problems before their incarceration. In prison, many live exemplary lives, turning to faith and mentoring younger women. Dye and Aday state that they want to give policymakers, prison officials, and the public “a better understanding of the lived experiences of this voiceless group of prisoners.” Goal achieved.

• Chapter 1 Introduction to Women Lifers Chapter 2 Life Before a Life Sentence Chapter 3 Bruised, Bullied, and Battered Chapter 4 Life Behind Bars: Living with a Life Sentence Chapter 5 Family Matters Chapter 6 Health Concerns and Practices Chapter 7 Enduring Grief and Loss Chapter 8 Keeping the Faith Chapter 9 Life Beyond Bars: Hopes, Expectations, and Fears for Release Chapter 10 Conclusions: Challenging the Existing Narrative about Women Lifers

Meredith Dye, PhD, is a professor of sociology at Middle Tennessee State University. Her research focuses on the effects of incarceration, prison suicide, and women in prison. Recent publications have appeared in Women and Criminal Justice, Prison Journal, and Criminal Justice and Behavior.Ronald H. Aday, PhD, is a professor of sociology at Middle Tennessee State University. He has published several books including Crime and the Elderly, Aging Prisoners: Crisis in American Corrections, and Women Aging in Prison as well as over fifty articles and book chapters.

In this powerful report on a broken system, two sociology professors look at the depressingly large number of women sentenced to life in prison. They conducted in-depth surveys of female lifers in their home state, Georgia, but also take measure of the 112,000 women nationwide living federal and state prisons, a huge increase since 1980, when only 13,000 were incarcerated. Currently 6,700 women are serving life, life without parole, or 50 or more years behind bars, representing seven-percent of the overall correctional population and just four-percent of lifers. Most of the lifers are moms, and many, as one woman put it, watched their children “grow up in pictures.” Interestingly, 83-percent of the women in the authors’ sample indicated a history of being abused, and more than half reported no drug or alcohol problems before their incarceration. In prison, many live exemplary lives, turning to faith and mentoring younger women. Dye and Aday state that they want to give policymakers, prison officials, and the public “a better understanding of the lived experiences of this voiceless group of prisoners.” Goal achieved.

• Chapter 1 Introduction to Women Lifers Chapter 2 Life Before a Life Sentence Chapter 3 Bruised, Bullied, and Battered Chapter 4 Life Behind Bars: Living with a Life Sentence Chapter 5 Family Matters Chapter 6 Health Concerns and Practices Chapter 7 Enduring Grief and Loss Chapter 8 Keeping the Faith Chapter 9 Life Beyond Bars: Hopes, Expectations, and Fears for Release Chapter 10 Conclusions: Challenging the Existing Narrative about Women Lifers

Meredith Dye, PhD, is a professor of sociology at Middle Tennessee State University. Her research focuses on the effects of incarceration, prison suicide, and women in prison. Recent publications have appeared in Women and Criminal Justice, Prison Journal, and Criminal Justice and Behavior.Ronald H. Aday, PhD, is a professor of sociology at Middle Tennessee State University. He has published several books including Crime and the Elderly, Aging Prisoners: Crisis in American Corrections, and Women Aging in Prison as well as over fifty articles and book chapters.

In this powerful report on a broken system, two sociology professors look at the depressingly large number of women sentenced to life in prison. They conducted in-depth surveys of female lifers in their home state, Georgia, but also take measure of the 112,000 women nationwide living federal and state prisons, a huge increase since 1980, when only 13,000 were incarcerated. Currently 6,700 women are serving life, life without parole, or 50 or more years behind bars, representing seven-percent of the overall correctional population and just four-percent of lifers. Most of the lifers are moms, and many, as one woman put it, watched their children “grow up in pictures.” Interestingly, 83-percent of the women in the authors’ sample indicated a history of being abused, and more than half reported no drug or alcohol problems before their incarceration. In prison, many live exemplary lives, turning to faith and mentoring younger women. Dye and Aday state that they want to give policymakers, prison officials, and the public “a better understanding of the lived experiences of this voiceless group of prisoners.” Goal achieved.

• Chapter 1 Introduction to Women Lifers Chapter 2 Life Before a Life Sentence Chapter 3 Bruised, Bullied, and Battered Chapter 4 Life Behind Bars: Living with a Life Sentence Chapter 5 Family Matters Chapter 6 Health Concerns and Practices Chapter 7 Enduring Grief and Loss Chapter 8 Keeping the Faith Chapter 9 Life Beyond Bars: Hopes, Expectations, and Fears for Release Chapter 10 Conclusions: Challenging the Existing Narrative about Women Lifers