A new report from the University of Michigan’s Center for Racial Justice at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy sheds light on the essential and largely overlooked role family members play in supporting women after incarceration. Drawing on original, qualitative survey data from 50 participants, the report reveals the extensive emotional and financial support families provide to formerly incarcerated loved ones, often while facing significant barriers and receiving little assistance from the federal, state, or local government.
"A lot of research on the familial impact of incarceration focuses on family members of incarcerated men,” said DeAnna Smith, who holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Michigan and is a Researcher at Chapin Hall. “However, we know that women’s incarceration has grown at twice the rate of men’s over the past few decades. We also know that women often serve different roles in their families compared to men prior to incarceration.”
Smith co-authored the report, Bridging the Gap: How Family Members Support Formerly Incarcerated Women During Reentry with University of Michigan Sociology students Sinclair Dennison, Jennifer Miller, and Aiolya Zhang.
The most common forms of support reported by family members included financial assistance (84%), housing (68%), and emotional support or advice (68%). However, nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents reported experiencing financial challenges after their relative’s release, with some taking on extra jobs, reducing personal expenses, or borrowing money to support their formerly incarcerated loved ones.
"Deep, persistent racial inequality shapes who gets policed and incarcerated in the United States,” said Smith. “The inequalities that shape high rates of imprisonment for Black women, such as the criminalization of poverty, institutional racism, and increased risk of victimization, also shape Black women's experiences returning home to their families."
The report calls for policy reforms to better support both formerly incarcerated women and their families, including:
Implementing family peer navigator programs, similar to the Trauma-Informed Peer-Led Reentry (TIPLR) initiative at Nation Outside, that help families navigate the reentry process and access resources.
Establishing caregiver compensation, modeled after Medicaid and VA caregiver benefits, that help offset financial strains placed on family caregivers.
Addressing employment barriers by offering more incentives to employers for hiring formerly incarcerated individuals and developing regularly updated employment portals for individuals with criminal records.
Full report: Bridging the Gap: How Family Members Support Formerly Incarcerated Women During Reentry