Trauma, Stigma, and Reentry: the gendered health experiences of formerly incarcerated women

The purpose of this research is to further understand the gendered health experiences of formerly incarcerated women upon their release and how this impacts their families and communities. Women who have had contact with the criminal justice system have been documented to have worse health outcomes than their male counterparts; however, existing literature has focused primarily on formerly incarcerated men’s experiences.  This research explored a) the extent to which the gendered health effects of formerly incarcerated women are considered by those who provide healthcare and related reentry services, b) how health problems affect the partners, children, and parents of women who are released from prison, c) whether community resources are equipped to handle the health and social complexities within the population, and d) to what extent identified barriers and access issues are limiting service utilization within the population.  Six interviews were conducted with staff and administration at five organizations, which provide programming and services for formerly incarcerated women, in order to better understand the experiences of this population from those with which they regularly interact. Issues of trauma, stigma, and regional availability of programs were identified as major barriers to access and utilization to health, social and re-entry services among formerly incarcerated women, and many of these barriers are gendered. Conclusions suggest policy recommendations that consider the gendered difference in the reentry process and health services access of women, and direction for further study that takes this gendered dynamic into account.