SAVE ME.
One of the most common theories behind women becoming involved with men in prison is that they feel that they can change them or that they can "save them."
This idea of saving them could be called or considered a "Savior Complex."
What is a Savior Complex?
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According to www.peopleskillsdecoded.com, "The savior complex is a psychological construct which makes a person feel the need to save other people. This person has a strong tendency to seek people who desperately need help and to assist them, often sacrificing their own needs for these people."
Whether the actual term of a savor complex is real or not, it does makes logical sense. The idea of being able to change someones life is appealing to most women. Maybe the woman is at the stage of her life where she wants someone to take care of. Or wants to feel needed. Becoming involved with a man behind bars satisfies these needs. The man looks forward to her letters and phone calls. He is depending on her for companionship.
"If you want to be the savior, you’re essentially saying to your partner that you see them as a project to be fixed." This quote comes from everydayfeminism.com. This is an additional point to be made. By needing to "fix" them, you are projecting the idea that they are not good enough the way that they are, dooming the relationship from the start.
When will they be good enough?
Are you attracted to them? Or the idea of being able to save them?
Both of the websites that I referenced do not specifically talk about savior complexes in women that become involved with incarcerated men. For this reason, the purpose of these websites were to give more information on the "Savior Complex." I thought that was interesting that it can be found in all types of relationships for many different reasons. So a woman doesn't have to look for a criminal to save, she has plenty of other options for people to help in this world. Another interesting finding was that the term "Savior Complex" has not come up yet in my research. The definition given perfectly describes why outsiders think the women do it. Neither of these sites have situated ethos, one is a online magazine and the other is an opinion website with other random articles. I do not think that the term "Savior Complex" is official terminology used by experts, at least I could not find any experts describing it, but when you search "savior complex" there are several results that come up, so people are talking about it.
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