USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications

Looking beyond Caged Heat: Media images of women in prison.

SelectedWorks Author Profiles:

Dawn Cecil

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2007

ISSN

1557-0851

Abstract

Female prisoners are an invisible correctional population; thus, media images are critical in shaping people’s understanding of this social issue. Although research has examined how Hollywood depicts female prisoners, it has not delved into images found in reality-based programs. This study examined documentaries, televised news magazines, and talk shows to determine how these programs portray this incarcerated population and to identify how the issue is framed. Findings indicate that although some of the critical issues facing incarcerated women are presented, these programs still highlight factors that excite viewers, including violence and sex, thereby creating a sensationalized and damaging image of women behind bars.

Comments

Citation only. Full-text article is available through licensed access provided by the publisher. Members of the USF System may access the full-text of the article through the authenticated link provided.

Language

en_US

Publisher

Sage

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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