Each year, nearly two million women who are released from incarceration are women with small children. While they may be moving beyond the prison walls, they are far from free.
A tangled web of state and federal laws may deny their right to vote, obtain public housing, tuition assistance or professional licenses, making it impossible to build a stable home and life for their family. Job applications that require them to check a box if they have a felony conviction can bar them from sustainable employment.
Added to these burdens are the stigma and stereotypes that society and popular culture assign to incarcerated women. The disturbing reality is that between 60 and 94 percent of these women are survivors of abuse and violence. Most confront challenges reestablishing family relationships. For many formerly incarcerated women, struggles with substance misuse and mental health compound the reentry hurdles.
Support and social services led by a cadre of Black women, many of them formerly incarcerated, answer needs with tools and resources to help formerly incarcerated women rebuild their lives and regain their voices. The programs provide support groups, food and clothes assistance, job counseling, referrals to mental health counseling, public outreach, and advocacy. We highlight some of these programs here.
Arizona
Florida
Florida based national organization
DC/Maryland/Virginia
Virginia
Georgia
Michigan
Pennsylvania
