Introduction:

the presence of victimization by violence against spouse, partner or companion sentenced to imprisonment seems to be an important risk factor for crime, criminal continuity and social maladjustment.

Objective

: this work is intended to compare the presence of different criminogenic risk factors in a group of women held in prisons in Catalonia (Spain) by contrasting those who had been VCP (“Violencia Contra la Pareja”) victims or not.

Method

: 98 inmates having served prison terms for different types of crime were analyzed and evaluated between 2010 and 2012 with the use of the RisCanvi risk assessment tool.

Results

: the prevalence of VCP victimization was 23%. 63% had employment problems, 53% had prison records, 61% had socialization and/or upbringing problems, and 55% showed behavioral disorders like impulsivity and/or emotional instability. Women who had suffered partner violence had significantly more clinical and personality risk factors and, on the whole, more needs from the point of view of treatment and risk management.

Conclusions

: victimization aggravates risk profiles among female inmates. Results implications for both prevention and treatment in the field of female delinquency are discussed.

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