“You Know Who You Can Go To”: Cooperation and Exchange Between Incarcerated Women

Relationship formation among women inmates has long been of interest to researchers. Most studies, however, have focused on pseudofamily or homosexual relationships. This work examines less intimate acquaintance and friendship bonds and their utility for inmate coping and adjustment. Qualitative data, based on unstructured, indepth interviews with 40 incarcerated women, underscore the benefits of inmate relationships and their support functions. Utilizing the strength-of-weak-ties concept, this article examines how female inmates perceive their relationships with each other and assesses the role of these relationships in women's adaptation to incarceration.