The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of older women in prison, with a special focus on their experiences of generativity. The study findings support the salience of generative aspirations among older incarcerated women. The participants expressed their desire to give back to the community. They also reported concern for their own children and the children of others. The study also provides insight into how women are able to be generative behind bars. Finally, the findings also revealed several prison experiences that are unique to older women in prison.

Nearly all of the women in my sample were mothers and grandmothers. Their experiences of incarceration are unique compared to incarcerated women in general and certainly as compared to people in prison (men and women) even more generally, because they are very attached to their children and these children are grown. Most of what past research has found about the effects of incarceration on the mother/child relationship does not necessarily apply to older mothers with adult children. Rather than a straightforward dilemma of separation, the women in my sample varied in what the separation experience signified. They ‘dealt’ with motherhood behind bars in four ways. The remorseful mother regrets her past disregard for her children as a young mother and hopes to reconcile with her children. The contented mother enjoys a strong relationship with her children and reports being genuinely content with her current incarceration. The uneasy mother worries about the well-being of her adult children during the separation. Finally, the abandoned mother is surprised by her children's unexpected lack of support during her incarceration.

The women in my sample indicated that acceptance was a multifaceted concept. Three levels of acceptance were apparent: acceptance of incarceration, acceptance of responsibility, and acceptance of self. Many of the women I interviewed indicated that while they may not like being in prison, they had accepted it. Acceptance of incarceration eased the passing of time and often led to peace of mind. Acceptance of responsibility was mentioned by several participants; not that the emphasis on acceptance of responsibility may have been inculcated by prison-based rehabilitation programmes and self-help classes that emphasize this discourse. Finally, older participants described acceptance of self as an especially difficult kind of acceptance, one that allowed participants to feel good about themselves for the first time.