The Barriers Women Face Before, During, And After Incarceration 

Systems-impacted women and gender-expansive people often face unique barriers before, during, and after incarceration, including high rates of trauma, economic instability, housing insecurity, mental health crises, and the need for family reunification. Furthermore, race, poverty, and gender are primary drivers in the disproportionate criminalization of Black and Brown women, leaving many homeless, unemployed, and struggling to survive.  

To make the incarceration of women obsolete, programs and services must address the unique needs of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women, challenging the systemic inequities they face and further supporting them while they navigate the criminal legal system and seek long-term stability.

Policies and interventions are primarily designed for men 

When women don’t have gender-responsive care, it creates a disruptive gap in their needs. According to research from the National Institute of Justice, women enter the criminal legal system through different trajectories than men. Programs and services that address the root causes of the incarceration of women are more effective than those designed for men.

Expanding access to specialized care is a critical investment to reduce the incarceration of women, eradicating the barriers preventing them from stabilizing and rebuilding their lives. The Women’s Prison Association (WPA) implements gender-responsive programs that directly addresses women’s histories of trauma, mental health needs, lack of opportunity, and other factors that can lead to systems involvement. Using holistic and personalized care plans, our staff connect women to the individualized services they need. 

The number of incarcerated women is skyrocketing 

More women are being incarcerated. Over the last four decades, the population of incarcerated women has increased by 834%, more than twice the rate of men (Source: Sawyer, 2018). Policy decisions such as mandatory minimums (Source: Storm, Bender, 2024), three-strike laws (Source: Buvvaji, 2024), and pretrial detention (Source: Prison Policy Initiative) aggressively target marginalized people and drive these rates higher. In 2025, 400+ women were detained at the Rose M. Singer Center (Rosie’s) at Rikers Island, predominately women of color, which surpassed previously records. (Source: Data Collaborative for Justice).

Investing in strategies to reduce the reliance on incarceration and create better outcomes for women and their families is necessary. Through community-based Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI), women remain in their communities and with their loved ones, connected to a network of support. These evidence-based, high-impact programs offer a path forward, investing in women and their families instead of punishment.

Maternal incarceration disrupts families 

Nearly 80% of women in jail are mothers and primary caregivers, and many are single parents. An estimated 105,000 children in New York State have a parent serving time in prison or jail. Separating children from their mothers only creates adverse outcomes and long-term trauma for both the mother and the child. 

Community-based supports and alternatives to incarceration are family-focused solutions, critical for family reunification and reducing maternal incarceration. By providing services to women at risk of or returning home from incarceration within their communities, prevention is prioritized over punishment.  

Housing instability, common before and after incarceration, greatly affects the health of a family (Source: Singh, 2024). Without access to housing, families are destabilized, and mothers risk further separation from their children. WPA’s supportive housing programs keep families together in safe and stable homes, giving mothers the opportunity to heal and thrive and their children the space to learn and grow.

Incarceration should not be the default response, yet it is still relied on 

Each year, New York City spends $178 million to incarcerate over 400 women, predominantly Black and Brown, at a cost exceeding $500,000 per person (Source: NYC Comptroller, 2021). This system perpetuates inequity and furthers generational poverty without addressing any of the root causes of incarceration.

There are proven alternatives available that allow women to thrive outside of these oppressive systems. By providing access to essential support for justice-impacted women and their families, WPA seeks to disrupt this cycle of incarceration through successful reentry, family reunification, and creating safer communities. The results have repeatedly proven that investing in women, families, and communities lead to better outcomes (Source: Webel, 2025).  

Structural barriers force justice-impacted women to remain in adverse economic conditions  

The Bureau of Justice found that approximately 60% of formerly incarcerated people remain jobless during their first year after release. Specifically, the unemployment rate for recently released Black women is at a shocking 43.6% (Source: Smith, 2022). Justice-impacted women have not been given a fair shot at a second chance, deterred by discrimination and barriers to employment (Source: Prison Policy Institute). 

A major pillar of stability is secure and gainful employment. Women transitioning out of incarceration who receive more opportunities to advance in their education and career are less likely to fall back into cycles of incarceration, creating a sustainable way forward. WPA encourages and connects women to opportunities to secure and sustain meaningful pathways forward.

Justice-impacted women are overwhelmingly impacted by sexual violence

86% of women in jail report experiencing sexual violence prior to arrest (Source: PREA, 2017) After facing traumatic and harmful events in their lives, women are punished for their experiences rather than being uplifted and supported. Instead of normalizing the abuse to prison pipeline, women must be presented with the appropriate care and support that anyone else can access.  

Survivors need specialized support, not punishment. WPA offers trauma-informed mental health counseling and sets survivors up to receive community-based support and services, including alternatives to incarceration and court advocacy. The individualized approaches used help women identify their short-term and long-term goals and develop a pathway towards achieving them. 

Better outcomes for justice-impacted women and their communities are possible with the proper reinvestment, prioritizing restoration over retribution. Learn more about WPA’s programs here.