Leadership in a women's prison

The process of social interaction was studied in a southeastern correctional institution for women to determine how patterns of interaction were established, how leaders emerged, and what sociological and criminological characteristics the leaders displayed. The study was based on field observations, interviews with the inmates, and examination of the institutional case records.The women identified as leaders had characteristics similar to those of men found to be leaders in other prison studies; that is, they were similar to other prisoners in background but were criminologically more experienced. The women also displayed aggressive behavior generally considered by society to be masculine and had been convicted of crimes more typical of males than females.