The Interpersonal Communication and Psychological Safety in the Rehabilitation of Women Prisoners

Women prisoners face psychosocial vulnerabilities, including trauma, stigma, emotional support needs, and histories of substance misuse, making sensitive interpersonal communication essential to rehabilitation. However, previous studies of correctional communication have largely focused on communication patterns, strategies, and barriers, with limited attention to the psychological mechanisms explaining prisoners’ willingness to communicate openly. This study aims to examine how correctional officers’ interpersonal communication contributes to psychological safety and supports the personality development and social reintegration of women prisoners. A narrative-integrative literature review was conducted using publications from 2020 to 2026 obtained from national journal portals, scientific databases, publisher websites, institutional repositories, and official regulatory sources. The analysis employed eleven dimensions of interpersonal communication and psychological safety as a thematic analytical framework. The findings indicate that empathetic, open, supportive, positive, consistent, and egalitarian communication strengthens trust and engagement. Psychological safety facilitates prisoners’ willingness to acknowledge mistakes, raise difficult issues, express disagreement, seek assistance, and participate in rehabilitation. The study’s novelty lies in proposing psychological safety as a conceptual mechanism linking interpersonal communication with rehabilitation engagement, personality development, and readiness for social reintegration, while integrating gender-responsive and trauma-informed perspectives.