“I Feel like I Have ‘Prison’ Tattooed on my Forehead”: Women’s Trajectories after Release from Incarceration

Abstract

Although reentry has been well explored, less is known about women’s reentry trajectories and whether reentry experiences change over time. The current study explored women’s experiences from prison release to 15-months post-release using interviews with 29 women across four states. Themes from early reentry (2 weeks–4 months) underscored women’s struggle for survival. Women were dependent on informal support, struggling to readjust to mothering, and experiencing stigma from potential employers. Themes from later reentry (8–15 months) mostly portrayed the complexities of social support as mothering remained challenging, family support became a double-edged sword, and formal support services were difficult to access.