Hierarchy of Impact in Justice-Involved Women: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

This study explores the repercussions of community supervision on justice-involved women on probation, utilizing Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory (1954) as an organizational framework to analyze the impact of these challenges. This study employed interpretative phenomenological analysis to examine the results and organize the discussion around the dimensions of impact experienced by these women. The study reveals that the impact of offending on participants is multifaceted, encompassing various dimensions with reciprocal relationships, and outlining diverse levels of human motivational needs. The analysis identifies superordinate thematic categories, illustrating the impact on essential, occupational, relational, and developmental levels. These categories align with Maslow's physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization needs, respectively, and propose practice-based implications for helpers and mental health professionals working with this population. In conclusion, the experience of offending and probation has a complex impact in the lives of women, requiring a multifaceted recovery process that addresses diverse challenges across various needs.