“We’re Being Released to a Jungle”: The State of Prisoner Reentry and the Resilience of Women of Color

Abstract

The punitive carceral system is expected to tame people of color into docile bodies through their imprisonment. Furthermore, the oppressive and punitive U.S. context embodies patriarchy and injustice in which women of color endure unique obstacles at the intersection of race and gender. Given the power structures built to destabilize women of color before and after incarceration, this study uses interview data to examine their perseverance through carceral systems. The findings illustrate how oppressive regimes shape postincarceration obstacles and explore how women of color combat social-structural inequalities after incarceration.

Mothering in the streets: Familial adaptation strategies of street‐identified Black American mothers

“…In moments of vulnerability, formerly incarcerated mothers revealed how difficult it was to manage the lives of their children while “doing their time” in a system that felt cruel and unforgiving (Garcia‐Hallett, 2019 ). Lisa H. (37) lamented that being sentenced for robbery was “hell … because [she] missed [her] babies.” Lakeira (23) was forced to leave behind two young sons and remembered anxiously wondering about their well‐being: “Do my kids really remember me?…”

“…In moments of vulnerability, formerly incarcerated mothers revealed how difficult it was to manage the lives of their children while "doing their time" in a system that felt cruel and unforgiving (Garcia-Hallett, 2019). Lisa H. (37) lamented that being sentenced for robbery was "hell … because [she] missed [her] babies."…”

Decomposition of the Role of Family in Reentry: Family Support, Tension, Gender, and Reentry Outcomes

“…It can be caused by emotional disturbance—as observed in expressive crimes such as assaulting and battering (Cohn & Rotton, 2003; Miethe & Drass, 1999). However, more often reoffending results from deviant peer association (Boman & Mowen, 2017; Mowen & Boman, 2018), anti-social culture (Skilling & Sorge, 2014; Smith et al, 2012; Walters & Lowenkamp, 2016), and financial difficulty (Bushway, 2004; Garcia-Hallett, 2019; Liu et al, 2020c; Travis, 2002). Family support is found to neutralize reentry challenges such as financial difficulty, social rejection and isolation (Duwe & Clark, 2013; Liu & Visher, 2019; Mowen & Visher, 2016; Visher & Courtney, 2007).…”

Reclaiming Our Stories: Centering the Voices, Experiences, and Expertise of Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BIWOC) on the Carceral State

“…In her analysis, Hollingshead compared how the fatalities of Black women and men are framed at the intersection of race and gender. Newspaper narratives depict Black criminality as the central focus in primary reporting of policing killings of Black women and men, highlighting information that presents them as a perceived threat Garcia-Hallett, 2019;Gurusami, 2019). This article is framed around the concept of "unfreedom" as the result of structural-level power dynamics and oppression that push formerly incarcerated Black mothers into the "margins of justice."…”