Wuhib, Tigist(DhrAmare, Yordanos2022-02-042023-11-182022-02-042023-11-182021-10http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/29909This research aimed to determine the prevalence and contributing factors for depression among female offenders in Adama Dippo Correctional Center. Literatures on prevalence and contributing factors are discussed wisely in relation to the research objectives. It discussed based on Relational Theory of Women’s Psychological Development; Implications for the Criminal Justice System developed by Covington in 1998.The research used mixed study design: under the quantitative data questionnaires were made with 80 women offenders who stay in the correction center for more than a month and the qualitative data (interview) was conducted with five women prisoners, women ward guard, women and children affairs officer and a counselor. The study used non-probability sampling technique which is purposive that used to select the respondents from the correction center. The information was gathered strategically & systematically. In order to analyze the data SPSS was used. As a result, descriptive analyses were conducted by employing percent, frequency, mean, standard deviation, and table. Additionally, independent sample T-test and one way ANOVA were used. The study result showed that the major contributing factors which were having children i.e age of children and number of children, length of incarceration and existing age difference are the factors for high level prevalence of depression among female offenders. The quality of the correction center and its accessibilities also matters the female prisoners. Among those participants, 97.5% of the feminine offenders experience severe level of depression. Thus the regional as well as Adama Dippo Correction directors should solve the matter of these depressed feminine offenders found within the Correction CenterenContributing factors, Correctional center, Depression, Offenders, PrevalenceThesis